Antwerp, Belgium – Business leaders have called on EU heads of state to implement the Clean Industrial Deal as a matter of urgency, or risk Europe continuing to fall behind its goals. One year on from the launch of the Antwerp Declaration, 400 business leaders reunited in the Belgian city to discuss the matter with European Commission (EC) president Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the European Council meeting in March.
Ilham Kadri, president of ICCA and Cefic and CEO of Syensqo, wants to see the transformation of Europe’s ambition “to be” into a determination “to do” to prevent losing quality jobs for its future generations of workers. “In the turbulent times we are in we need bold action from the European leadership,” she said.
Europe’s industries are facing historical challenges: declining demand, stalled investments, reduced capacity, and EU gas prices that are up to five times higher than its competitors. Between 2023 and 2024, Europe’s manufacturing output dropped by 2.6%. The sector employs more than 31 million people.
For the chemicals industry, a recent study from Cefic illustrates the size of the challenge, with more than 11MT of capacity having been closed down between 2023 and 2024, with 21 major sites affected. The Antwerp Declaration was developed to identify 10 concrete actions to restore the business case for investments, to implement Europe’s sustainability ambitions, and to safeguard quality jobs in Europe. It has more than 1300 signatories.
Last month, the EC set out its 2025-2029 mandate, which included a roadmap for decarbonisation and competitiveness. Trade association ISOPA commented that the Draghi Report and the earlier Letta Report should be used to establish a clear industrial policy.
