Under the EU Action Plan on the Chemicals Industry, the European Commission has formed a Critical Chemicals Alliance. ISOPA has been accepted to join the Alliance and will be present at its first meeting on 13 January 2026.
On 8 July 2025, the Commission presented its Action Plan on the Chemicals Industry to address key challenges such as high energy costs, unfair global competition, and weak demand, while promoting investment in innovation and sustainability.
As part of the Action Plan, the Commission proposed establishing a Critical Chemical Alliance to address the risks of capacity closures in the sector and applying trade defence measures to ensure fair competition.
The Alliance tackles key issues facing the chemical sector, such as risks of closures and trade challenges, and supports the modernisation and investments in critical productions.
The Alliance will work on:
(i) Establishing criteria to identify critical chemical productions and molecules for the European economy;
(ii) Mapping out critical molecules which can benefit from enhanced trade monitoring and support, including under the Customs Surveillance Systems;
(iii) Supporting the EU and Member States in aligning investment priorities and guide coordination of EU support mechanisms with national projects.
ISOPA submitted an application to become a member of the Alliance, which has now been accepted.
The first meeting of the Alliance will take place on 13 January 2026, in Geleen, the Netherlands.
This first high-level meeting will be a unique opportunity to engage with other members and shape the future of the Alliance.
For more information, please contact Jelle Verheij, Senior Public Affairs and Communications Officer at ISOPA: jelle.verheij@isopa.org