The final conference of the European Sustainable Chemicals Support Service (ESCSS) took place in Brussels on 14 September 2017 at the European Chemical Regions Network (ECRN), with presentations from 6 EU ‘Model Regions’ and an introduction of the Self-assessment tool developed through the initiative.

The European Commission and ECRN have decided to jointly disseminate the results of the Initiative 6 Model Demonstrator Regions, with the support of the Consortium, including Cefic, CIRCE and PNO.

The event has attracted great attention with more than 140 registrants, among which more than 30 different regional authorities.

The aim of the initiative, launched in February 2016, was to encourage investments in sustainable chemicals production in Europe that will contribute to the development of the circular economy, for example by taking advantage of locally available feedstock such as biomass and urban waste.

Delegates were welcomed by Renatka Krcova, the Director of ECRN, who described “sustainable chemicals as a key element of the EU’s industrial strategy” and the ESCSS as a significant step in raising awareness of it.

This was echoed by Carlo Pettinelli, Director, Consumer, Environmental and Health Technologies at the European Commission’ Internal Market, Industry and SMEs DG (GROW), who said the initiative had been a “success story for the regions” and key to the Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan to boost jobs and environmental protection. He also underlined that “Industrial sustainability and environmental protection must go hand in hand.”