Markus Kamieth, the chief executive of BASF and acting president of the European chemical association Cefic, has called for swift relief measures for the industry. Speaking to the “FAZ” before an informal summit of European heads of state, he said the European emissions trading system must be urgently reformed. He warned that, if nothing changes, the cost of permits alone could reach up to €1 billion a year for BASF over the next decade. “These are additional costs that I don’t incur when I produce outside Europe” he explained. Kamieth criticised the EU’s planned border adjustment mechanism as ineffective and overly complex, arguing that it drives “green” production beyond Europe’s borders and that the system is out of step because “the rest of the world has not joined”.
According to Kamieth, the crisis in the chemical sector has intensified over the past three years. Nearly ten percent of production capacity in Europe has already been mothballed, and closures continue. “The industry must therefore adjust its plants and eliminate non‑competitive structures” he said.
Looking ahead to the EU’s newly launched chemical alliance-set to identify system‑critical facilities that might be granted state protection in the coming months-Kamieth warned of creeping protectionism. While certain value‑chain components are essential to Europe’s industrial ecosystem, he cautioned that the process could quickly stimulate further demands for state support, eventually labelling many sites and products as system‑critical.
