EUROPEAN CHEMICAL REGIONS NETWORK
Budget
€100 — €0
EP Access
3
accredited persons
Staff
3
2.25 FTE
EU Grants
€32,367
Mission & Goals
The European Chemical Regions Network (ECRN) advocates for a stronger regional dimension in European strategies and policies related to the chemical industry. By bringing concrete local experience and solutions into EU policy-making, the network aims to bridge the gap between policy elaboration and local impact. Our goals are: a) Increase regional dimension in the EU policy agenda, advocate common interests towards the institutions of the European Union, b) Give a single voice to the chemical regions interests, c) Foster interregional cooperation, exchanging and transfer of knowledge, d) Improve regional development strategies, e) Create regional partnerships, f) Initiate and take part in European projects for the promotion of the chemical regions, g) Develop new relationships with business partners, trade unions and other associations and organisations relevant for the chemical regions in Europe.
EU Legislative Interests
Chemicals Policy, REACH Critical Chemicals Alliance Industrial Policy Circular Economy, bioeconomy Resource efficiency and Raw Materials Key Enabling Technologies Energy (efficiency, renewables, Energy Union) Environment and climate change Research and Innovation Regional policy, cohesion policy, smart specializations Skills, training and employment, job creation Sustainable development Horizon Europe Interreg,
Communication Activities
12.06.2024 PFAS revision – Challenges and opportunities? ECRN, in collaboration with the ChemSkills project hosted the online event. This timely event addressed the pressing PFAS issue, presenting current legislative solutions and their impacts. Discussions focused on balancing risks and benefits, exploring sustainable alternatives, assessing product safety, environmental impact of production processes, and emerging points. 11.12.2024 – 20 Years of ECRN ECRN marked its 20th anniversary with a high-level debate at the European Parliament, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and regional stakeholders to discuss the urgent challenges facing the European chemical industry and to outline pathways for its competitive future. The event delivered a clear and urgent message: decisive action is needed to address rising energy costs, regulatory burdens, and global competition, while supporting the industry’s essential role in driving Europe’s green and digital transitions. In particular, the event emphasized that the upcoming Polish Presidency in 2025 represents a pivotal opportunity to place industrial priorities, particularly for energy-intensive sectors, at the top of the EU agenda. ECRN’s Position Paper, presented during the conference, serves as a roadmap for policymakers to strengthen the sector, safeguard jobs, and ensure Europe remains an industrial leader. 30.05.2025- Polish Chemistry Congress ECRN was honoured to assume the honorary patronage of the 12th Polish Chemistry Congress, held in Krakow on 29–30 May 2025. Organised by the Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry (PIPC), an associate member of ECRN, the Congress is the largest and most influential event for the chemical sector in Poland and Central Europe. ECRN was represented by Maria Dolors Núñez, Technology Opportunity Analysis Team Leader at ACCIÓ (Catalan Competitiveness Agency). Her contribution emphasised ECRN’s call for a regulatory framework that aligns the EU’s climate ambitions with the realities of industrial innovation and regional diversity. ECRN argued for a pragmatic, innovation-friendly approach to key challenges: the REACH revision, PFAS phase-out, polymer registration, and the forthcoming Chemicals Industry Package. 06.06. 2025 - EU Industry Days ECRN Executive Director, Folco Ciulli, had the honour of contributing to the discussion on Europe’s industrial future during the EU Industry Days 2025, organised by the European Commission with the support of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. ECRN underscored the critical importance of regional ecosystems and interregional cooperation in implementing global standards and fostering a resilient European chemical industry. Our message was clear: regional engagement is key to ensuring a sustainable and competitive industrial future for Europe. 23.09.2025 - Workshop on Circularity and New Materials Hosted by the ECRN under the ChemSkills project, the workshop looked beyond policy rhetoric to focus on the skills, partnerships, and strategies that will shape Europe’s chemical future. 28.10.2025 - Hydrogen in Europe’s energy transition In collaboration with the Erasmus+ project “Professionals and their Skills in Hydrogen” and the Mazovia Region, ECRN hosted a half-day dissemination event linking Europe’s hydrogen policy landscape to national and regional ecosystems in Belgium and Poland. Publications: ECRN position papers on: The future of the European Chemical Industry, 2024 Advancing plastic recycling in Europe, 2025 Circular Economy Act 2025 Critical Medicines Act, 2025 EU Bioeconomy Strategy, 2025 Advancing Plastics Recycling in Europe, 2025 Feedback on the EU Rules for Recycled Plastic Content in Single-Use Beverage Bottles, 2025 ECRN role in the Critical Chemical Alliance and Criteria for Critical Chemical Sites,2025
Interests Represented
Promotes their own interests or the collective interests of their members
Organisation Members
http://www.ecrn.net/abouttheecrn/memberregions.php http://www.ecrn.net/abouttheecrn/president.php https://ecrn.net/member-regions/ Flanders (Ministry for Work, Economy, Innovation and Sport; Departement Economie, Weteschap en Innovatie) Limburg (Provincie Limburg) Lombardy (Regione Lombardia) Emilia-Romagna Mazovia (Województwa Mazowieckiego ) Saxony-Anhalt (Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft un Digitalisierung) Catalonia Groningen Drenthe Zuid-Holland Liguria Usti Cluster Green Chemistry (West Pomerania) Abruzzo Bavaria Piemonte Valencia CONFAPI (Itlay) Polish Chamber of the Chemical Industry
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.