They are under pressure, they are worried about European environmental projects, they have the means to make themselves heard and intend to use them: the big bosses of some seventy companies in the chemical and other energy-intensive sectors met on Tuesday February 20, in Antwerp (Belgium). The port city was not chosen at random for this summit presented as ” private “ : it is the leading European industrial center for chemicals and petrochemicals, as well as the main emitter of greenhouse gases in Belgium.
It was, also very symbolically, on the site of BASF, the world number one in chemicals, that the bosses spoke of the need to perpetuate their activity and, to this end, made their grievances known to Ursula von der Leyen, the president. of the European Commission, and to Alexander De Croo, the Belgian Prime Minister, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
Activists had displayed banners in front of the meeting venue criticizing the political leaders present and the“ toxic secret agreement » which they were preparing to endorse. The meeting was, in fact, to result in the adoption of a “European Industrial Deal”, which it is difficult not to contrast with the Green Deal, the Green Pact developed by the European executive.
This enjoins manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality in 2050, but they find in this project “conflicting political objectives” of which they ask “clarification”. Essenscia, the federation which defends more than 700 Belgian companies and is a member of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) lobby, judges that it is impossible to achieve climate and environmental objectives while preserving economic growth and ” prosperity “.
Binding regulations
During the meeting, prepared by Cefic with the publication of a very critical “impact study” of the Strategy for Sustainability in the field of chemicals, a chapter of the Green Deal developed by the European Commission, the numerous The sector’s grievances were voiced loudly. Too many restrictive regulations, not enough support for a sector faced with massive state aid granted by China and the United States to their companies, growing legal uncertainties linked to the granting of environmental permits, etc.
Mme von der Leyen was also reminded that subsidies granted to an industry which employs 1.2 million workers in the European Union vary greatly from one country to another while differences in energy prices remain largely, which also distorts competition.
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