CIRFS – the European Manmade Fibres Association – has welcomed the new Clean Industrial Deal announced by the European Commission (EC) on February 26^th.

The new business plan aims to support the competitiveness and resilience of European industries by accelerating decarbonisation, while securing the future of manufacturing in Europe. It recognises that faced with high energy costs and fierce and often unfair global competition urgent support is needed. The deal aims to give certainty and predictability to companies and investors that the bloc remains committed to becoming a decarbonised economy by 2050.

“Europe is not only a continent of industrial innovation, but also a continent of industrial production,” said EC president Ursula von der Leyen. “However, the demand for clean products has slowed down, and some investments have moved to other regions. We know that too many obstacles still stand in the way of our European companies – from high energy prices to excessive regulatory burden. The Clean Industrial Deal aims to cut the ties that still hold our companies back.”

The EC is also taking action to make the EU’s regulatory environment more efficient while reducing bureaucratic hurdles for businesses, following active engagement with industry leaders, social partners and civil society.

The plan, which will mobilise over €100 billion to support EU-made clean manufacturing, focuses mainly on two closely linked sectors – energy-intensive industries and clean tech.

“We strongly agree with the Commission that it is essential to move beyond traditional narrow solutions and to look at entire value chains,” said CIRFS president Arnaud Closson. “This change of perspective is the only way to promote competitiveness, innovation and sustainability in the European industrial ecosystem.

“We urge the European Commission to take immediate action to lower gas and electricity prices. While reducing taxes and levies may provide short-term relief, it is not enough to ensure a sustainable industrial future in Europe. In this context, focusing solely on lowering electricity prices is insufficient. Many industries – including ours – have a significant energy demand that cannot be easily or entirely electrified. It is crucial that this reality is acknowledged and addressed in the policy framework.

“We regret that the issue of rapidly increasing imports and rising dependencies – particularly from specific countries in Asia – has not been properly addressed in the deal. The green transition can only succeed if all market players compete under the same set of rules, which is currently not the case. The European Union’s approach to upcoming Free Trade Agreements, such as the EU-India deal, fails to guarantee market fairness and a level playing field.”

Brussels-based CIRFS members cover about 70% of European manmade fibres output and provide for around 20,000 jobs at 250 plants. The European man-made fibres industry, with a total production in 2023 of and 4.3 million tons, is the world’s third largest in terms of output – albeit dwarfed by China.

www.cirfs.org