essenscia

essenscia is the Belgian federation of the chemical industry and life sciences sector. The organisation defends the specific interests of more than 720 companies active in chemistry, plastics, pharma and biotech. The chemistry and life sciences industry is key to a sustainable future and continuous improvement in the quality of life for everyone.

The EC recently published its “fit for 55” package, including a review of the renewable energy directive (RED). Essenscia supports the climate transition and considers the reduction of greenhouse gases while remaining competitive in a global context key.

Essenscia supports the climate ambition and considers the reduction of greenhouse gases the main objective. Therefore it is important other targets, like the RED target, are supportive of this objective and should be made indicative. To reach climate neutrality over time, industry will require access to large amounts of low carbon energy at competitive prices.

As the Belgian Federation for Chemicals, Life Sciences and Polymers, we have the unique distinction of covering both very demanding users as well as manufacturers of plastics packaging, along the entire value chain, from basic substances to recycling. Our coverage is therefore very broad with a particular attention to the services delivered to society and to public health.

The aim of the Green deal is ambitious and requires a robust EU strategy to adapt instruments to the globalized economy while protecting industrial competitiveness in order to attract the investments spurring innovation for the transition. The chemical and life sciences industry wants to play an active and solution-oriented role in the transition.

The chemical and life sciences industry wants to play an active and solution-oriented role in the transition and asks in return recognition of the size of the transformation challenge as well as coverage of the risks it entails. A proper impact assessment of the Green deal ambitions is required as well as a monitoring and adaptation mechanism in function of the evolution within the global framework.

essenscia position addresses three issues: 1. material neutral approach 2. the proper use of the legal instrument of Extended Producer Responsibility which cannot legally include recycled content as modulation as EPR is about the management and the valuation of waste, not about the product placed on the market 3.

essenscia, the Belgian federation of the chemical industry and life sciences sector, continues to support the goal of the Emissions Trading System as a policy tool to reduce emissions at the lowest cost to society. However some crucial changes to the ETS are needed to safeguard this goal and the competitiveness of the industry.

essenscia agrees that an effective carbon leakage protection tailored to the effective carbon cost burden on competing industries in the rest of the world is crucial in the fight against climate change. The chosen carbon leakage measures need to provide carbon leakage protection for products on the EU market as well as for products intended to export.

The paper in attachment contains essenscias position on the draft implementing regulation on Benchmark updates for the period 2026-2030, published on the 11th of May by the commission. The update of EU-ETS benchmarks for the 2026-2030 period will play a key role in ensuring that Europe can maintain a strong industrial base while delivering on its climate ambitions, thereby avoiding further deindustrialisation.

The EC recently published its “fit for 55” package, including a review of the energy efficiency directive (EED). Essenscia supports the climate transition and considers the reduction of greenhouse gases, while remaining competitive in a global context, key. The sector finds energy efficiency crucial element in the transition and the revision of the EED could help industry in its efforts to reduce GHG emissions.

Essenscia supports the climate ambition and considers the reduction of greenhouse gases the main objective. Therefore it is important other targets, like the EED target, are supportive of this objective and should be made indicative. The chemical and life sciences sector has been working for decades on reducing its own energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

essenscia welcomes the opportunity to participate in the consultation on the revision of the ETS and continues to support emissions trading as a policy tool to sustainably achieve agreed emission reductions at the lowest cost to society: Emission mitigation options and investment decisions of companies and sectors in the emissions trading scope will be triggered according to their economic, environmental and social…

Essenscia supports the European ambition to reach climate neutrality and asks that any increase in the 2030 targets should be chosen in line with this ambition and with realistic innovation evolutions. Further GHG emission reductions will require significant innovation in technologies and energy carriers.

essenscia welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Commissions proposed revision of EU legislation on hazard classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP). essenscia is the Belgian federation of the chemical, plastics and life science industry, representing 720 companies. essenscia and its members support the comments submitted by Cefic.

essenscia welcomes the opportunity to comment on European commission inception assessment on CLP. Safe use of chemicals both for human health and the environment requires the identification and communication of hazards at national, regional and global level in a clear and consistent way, without duplication or contradictions. essenscia and its members support the comments submitted by Cefic.

Essenscia, the federation representing the Belgian chemical and life sciences industry, welcomes the update of the scope of the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) that recognizes new energy carriers, like hydrogen, and the alignment on energy content of carriers.

Essenscia understands the aim of updating the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) and emphasizes the importance to avoid double taxation, to prevent competition distortion amongst EU energy consumers as well as to guarantee an international level playing field. In this sense, essenscia welcomes the EC’s intention to avoid inconsistencies with other European legislation.

Europes chemical and life sciences industry faces structural challenges from high energy costs, regulatory uncertainty, and declining competitiveness. A -90% emissions target by 2040 risks irreversible deindustrialization, as it is misaligned with innovation cycles and industrial investment horizons.

essenscia supports the measures to meet the climate goals, the free trade and fair conditions of competition in transport, therefor we are supportive to this proposal on the revision of the Council Directive 96/53/EC on the maximum weights and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles (the 'weights and dimensions directive') as part of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and its action plan.

essenscia welcomes the opportunity to participate in the public consultation on the inception assessment on REACH. essenscia and its members support the comments submitted by Cefic in this consultation. Additionally, we want to highlight some points.

We would like to address some comments on Recital 1 on Ubiquity, risks and hazard, Recital 3 on Handling, Recitals 9 & 11 on Waste, Recital 27 on EMAS, Recital 38 on Non Compliance and Recitals 40 & 41 on Damage to human health Consequently we suggest relevant amendments on Article 2 Definitions (Plastic pellet, Spills and primary containment and Installation), Article 3 General Obligations, Article 4 Obligations…

essenscia, the Belgian cross-sectoral federation of the chemical and life sciences industries, represents and promotes the interests of of more then 720 companies in the chemical and life sciences sector. The chemical sector is a large producer and consumer of hydrogen and expects hydrogen to play an import role in a low carbon economy.

It should be noted and the Commission should be aware of that the EuroStat reporting tool does not allow to report mass balance related recycling rate and recycling goals. The entry into force of the implementing act or the reporting obligations cannot be hindered by a technical issue in the reporting system the Commission is using to track evidences of compliance.

Final 03/08/2025 Ref. Ares(2025)6333839 - 04/08/2025 The EU Grid Package: Enabling Europe's Chemical and Life Sciences Sectors in the Energy Transition essenscia position paper 1. Introduction Europe’s ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050 stands on three equally vital pillars: affordable low-carbon energy, resilient infrastructure, and a strong industrial base. One cannot succeed without the others.

Opening of the attached position paper · the full paper is on the Commission’s record (source link above)

Essenscia supports the European ambition to reach climate neutrality and considers that any increase in the 2030 targets should be in line with this ambition and in line with realistic innovation evolutions. The introduction of sinks as means to balance emissions is a valid, long-term perspective and will require the establishment of a solid accounting system, including in the LULUCF sector.

Context: The current energy crisis and its resulting soaring electricity prices have pushed the electricity market design high on the political agenda. Such context gives a strong mandate to address the deficiencies in the existing electricity market design.

essenscia, the Belgian cross-sectoral federation of the chemical and life sciences industries, represents and promotes the interests of of more then 720 companies in the chemical and life sciences sector. The chemical sector is a large producer and consumer of H2 and expects H2 to play an import role in the future.

essenscia, the sector federation for chemical and life sciences, represents one of the most significant export sectors and a key rail freight customer. We fully support the principal idea of this initiative to enhance data sharing in rail freight transport through improved digitalization and standard-setting.

essenscia, representing producers of industrial and medical gases in Belgium, supports the proposal to introduce a derogation on the consumer sales ban on nitrous oxide (NO) under REACH Annex XVII (point (6) b) of the annex).