As promised in its action plan for the chemicals sector published in July, the European Commission launched the ‘Critical Chemicals Alliance’ on Tuesday 28 October (see EUROPE 13676/11). This must unite the forces present to fight, in particular, against the risks of plant closures and supply cuts.
Over the next few months, the Alliance will have to clearly identify the molecules considered critical and essential to the European economy, and the related production sites. The next step will be to map this production as well as the value chains in order to detect bottlenecks at an early stage. The Alliance should also serve to coordinate investment by directing national and EU funding towards flagship projects.
The Alliance is open to all organisations active in the chemical industry, but they must apply by signing an “Alliance Declaration”.
The Alliance’s General Assembly will meet at least twice a year to set priorities and adopt recommendations. A Board of Directors will coordinate the Alliance’s work, and working groups made up of experts will focus on specific areas of work: commercial resilience, innovation and sustainable production. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)