The second General Assembly of the Critical Chemicals Alliance took place on 8 October in Creutzwald, on the Franco-German border, bringing together industry, trade unions and policymakers to discuss the future of Europe’s chemical sector at a critical moment for its industrial base.

Ten months after the Alliance was launched in January 2026, European Commission Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening the sector. He announced further action in the short term, including a targeted list of around ten critical chemical molecules by the end of the year, enhanced trade monitoring and stronger trade measures, alongside an ambitious investment agenda to be negotiated under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The discussions centred on four reports prepared by the Alliance’s Working Groups, covering critical chemical molecules and sites, trade, modernisation and investment, and lead markets. industriAll Europe has actively contributed to all four Working Groups and participated in the Alliance’s Steering Board, consistently advocating for an industrial strategy that safeguards production capacities and quality jobs.

From political commitments to concrete industrial action

industriAll Europe welcomes the strong political signals emerging from the Alliance. However, these commitments must now translate into urgent, coordinated action to address the challenges facing Europe’s chemical industry.

As highlighted in the Alliance’s work, Europe needs three complementary strands of action: safeguarding existing strategic sites and production capacities; investing in the modernisation and decarbonisation of industrial plants; and accelerating innovation and the development of new production capacities.

These priorities must advance together. Europe cannot build a competitive, climate-neutral chemical industry while allowing existing industrial capacities, skilled jobs and strategic know-how to disappear.

A strong Made in Europe approach must therefore underpin the EU’s industrial strategy. This means strengthening domestic production and value chains, creating lead markets for European-made products and ensuring that public funding supports resilient European industrial ecosystems.
The potential inclusion of chemicals in the Industrial Accelerator Act would be a welcome step, but it cannot deliver results alone. The forthcoming Biotech Act II and Circular Economy Act must also create effective incentives and market demand for safe, low- and zero-carbon chemicals, including sustainable substitution solutions.

At the same time, Europe needs faster and more effective trade instruments to guarantee a level playing field and protect its industrial base against unfair competition.

No industrial transition without workers

In his address, Executive Vice-President Séjourné also recognised the importance of socio-economic indicators, including the impact of industrial decisions on regions, workers and industrial know-how.

For industriAll Europe, this recognition must be translated into binding commitments.

“Behind a strong Made in Europe chemical industry, there must be strong social conditionalities: clear commitments and clawback clauses for companies benefiting from public support, alongside strong incentives for upskilling and reskilling. A Just Transition framework, with mandatory company-level Just Transition plans developed in consultation with trade unions, will be key to anticipating and managing change,” said industriAll Europe’s General Secretary Judith Kirton-Darling.

“The social dimension must be at the heart of the transition of the chemical sector. The urgent situation requires action now.”

Public investment must deliver public value: sustainable industrial production, quality employment, stronger skills and long-term commitments to European sites and communities.

The Critical Chemicals Alliance has helped identify the priorities. The next step must be a coherent European industrial strategy backed by investment, effective trade protection and enforceable social commitments.

Europe’s chemical industry needs action now. Its future must be Made in Europe — and built with workers, not without them.