Europe's Chemical Revival: EU's Strategic Alliance for Industrial Sovereignty

The European Commission announced a new initiative to bolster Europe's chemical industry by forming a Critical Chemical Alliance. Partnering with EU member states and industry stakeholders, the alliance aims to address significant supply chain and trade challenges affecting essential chemical production across the continent.

Significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe's chemical sector has lagged behind its U.S. and Chinese counterparts, partly due to higher energy and production costs. The Commission is focused on ensuring Europe's industrial sovereignty by safeguarding critical production sites for key molecules like methanol and reducing foreign import dependencies.

To support this goal, the EU plans to expand state aid, streamline permitting processes, and strengthen import surveillance. Upcoming proposals include incorporating EU-content criteria in public procurement standards and simplifying regulations, such as labelling rules for hazardous chemicals, to achieve annual savings of €363 million.

(With inputs from agencies.)