Halogens Industry Sector News
Synergy between the 10 Halogens Industry Sector groups and within the Cefic policy departments significantly increased this past year.
Marleen Pauwels
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HALOGENS INDUSTRY SECTOR
This past year saw a step change in the synergies between the 10 Halogens Industry Sector Groups (see www.halogens.eu) as they faced common EU regulatory challenges such as the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the BREF, the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) and REACH Revision and PFAS.
On the PFAS file, in April 2023, Maria-Chiara Detragiache joined the Halogens team as PA Manager to help strengthen synergies between Sector Groups and the Cefic policy departments on PFAS.
Third Halogens Industry Sector Board
On 9 June 2023, the third Halogens Industry Sector Board took place for the 10 Halogens Sector Group (SG) Chairs and the Halogens Coordination Group (HCG) members.
The meeting covered many topics of relevance by Cefic colleagues to the members, including the Cefic Transition Pathway, Climate Change and Energy and PFAS updates, the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and REACH Revision, and the Net Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Material Act. Following the meeting, Euro Chlor Chair Johan Van Den Broeck was voted as the new Chair to replace Jacques Sturm of Vynova.
To ensure full representation of Halogens Sector Groups in high level Cefic discussions, members of the HCG held regular meetings to update on the key highlights from the Cefic Programme Councils (PCs) and Fora.
Fluorinated Products and PFAS for Europe (FPP4EU) collaborates with Euro Chlor
FPP4EU was set up two years ago to represent the views of producers, importers, and users of fluorinated products and PFAS in Europe.
Whilst FPP4EU does not represent individual PFAS substances, it covers these substances as a whole and has been collaborating with Euro Chlor to exchange information on the regulatory situation and provide perspectives on the uses of fluorinated materials in chlor-alkali. It has also been informing authorities on those uses which are missed in the PFAS restriction proposal via the FPP4EU Collaboration Platform, assembling an impressive number of PFAS downstream user sectors. See www.fpp4eu.eu for more details.
ECSA nominates new Management Committee Chair
The European Chlorinated Solvents Association (ECSA) nominated a new Chair at its Management Committee meeting in September 2022. Jan Votava of Spolchemie replaced Isabelle Gourdon of Kem One, who had been the Chair for the past year. Meanwhile, at the General Technical Working Group (GTWG) and Management Committee meetings of 1-2 June 2023, members discussed the various ongoing regulatory activities and ECSA communications. See www.chlorinated-solvents.eu for more details.
Highlights from other Halogens Sector groups
Information on the other Halogens Sector Groups can be found on their websites: