ICIS - chemical podcasts Episode 1431: Think Tank: New Antwerp meeting flags need for immediate action to save Europe chemicals
Feb 13, 2026
Tom Brown, ICIS insight editor who tracks markets and policy, and Paul Hodges, longtime chemicals industry advisor, report from the Antwerp summit. They describe a sense of crisis in Europe’s chemicals sector. They discuss calls for swift federal-style powers, reversing regulatory gold-plating, creating pan-European energy and capital solutions, and coalition routes to act quickly.
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Unprecedented Solidarity In Antwerp
- Paul Hodges described the Antwerp gathering as unprecedented solidarity between politicians and the chemical industry.
- He noted 600 attendees including top EU leaders and heavy media coverage, stressing urgency.
Crisis Needs Immediate Action
- Speakers warned this is not a typical 'working group' crisis and demanded immediate action.
- The message was that Europe must act now or risk irreversible deindustrialisation.
Europe's Fragmentation Weakens Industry
- Paul Hodges and others argued Europe functions as 27 states, not a single actor against US/China competition.
- They said a federal-style structure or faster integrated tools are needed to compete globally.