Over 30 representatives from various companies in the sector, including BASF, Ineos, LyondellBasell, and others attended the meeting to discuss the chemicals crisis.
Sylvie Feiké from SECAFI presented the current economic situation of the sector in Europe and worldwide highlighting that between 2019 and 2025, sectoral production decreased by 7% in Belgium and up to 30% in the United Kingdom. This decline is driven by several factors:
- Reduced price competitiveness
- Higher regulatory and environmental costs
- A complex global supply landscape
This reduction in production levels has resulted in plant closures equivalent to 11 million tonnes of production capacity in 2023–2024, affecting 21 major production sites.
The discussion among participants highlighted the following common concerns:
- Trade and competition practices of China and its companies are threatening European production.
- The traditional integrated chemical production model’ in chemical production is at risk of disappearing under current conditions.
- Investments are no longer being made in Europe.
- Companies are relocating not only production but also services, engineering, and R&D.
- The implementation of Artificial Intelligence is leading to automation, with the aim of reducing jobs.
- All participants agreed that European industrial sovereignty is at stake if the chemical sector continues on this path.
One of the key demands to address this situation is to maintain “essential chemicals” as a cornerstone of European industrial sovereignty. The sector must be protected against unfair competition, and a proactive approach is needed to safeguard European industry from external market pressures.
IndustriAll Europe is organizing an emergency summit for the chemical sector on 15 January 2026 to present our demands to safeguard the chemicals industry, to the European Commission. Companies must engage in meaningful social dialogue, rather than exploiting the situation to push for deregulation, and we must join forces in defending the sector.