Böhlen/Magdeburg. At the Chemical Summit in Böhlen,Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Economic Affairs Sven Schulze is calling for quick solutions to safeguard the East German chemical industry and expressly welcomes the solidarity of employers, employees and politicians for a competitive transformation of the chemical industry. A joint declaration by employers' associations and the trade union was presented to the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany today.
At the Eastern Germany Chemical Summit in Böhlen, Minister Sven Schulze once again emphasized the urgent challenges facing the chemical industry in eastern Germany. The industry suffers from considerable competitive disadvantages due to the high energy prices in international comparison. Insufficient capacity utilization and the threat of closures highlight the need for rapid action. "The situation is dramatic and cannot be delayed any longer. Politicians must act now to stabilize the competitiveness of our chemical industry and secure it in the long term," explained Minister Sven Schulze.
In his speech, Schulze strongly advocated measures to strengthen industrial locations and ensure the preservation of jobs in eastern Germany. "We must not jeopardize the key chemical industry in our country. I will continue to exert my influence on Brussels and Berlin to achieve the urgently needed changes. Speed is now of the essence to secure the economic stability of eastern Germany," said Minister Sven Schulze.
"We now need to make the right adjustments. The introduction of an industrial electricity price, the abolition of the gas storage levy on January 1, 2026 and the announced expansion of electricity price compensation are the first steps. However, additional measures are required to ensure competitiveness in the long term."
Minister Sven Schulze also emphasized the importance of European cooperation: "Saxony-Anhalt is already active. My ministry has applied to join the Critical Chemicals Alliance (CCA) at EU level in order to identify critical production sites and chemical networks across Europe - some of which are also here in Saxony-Anhalt."
Minister Sven Schulze is also calling on the EU Commission to immediately suspend the melting of free emission allowances in the European Emissions Trading System (ETS) and to suspend the deletion mechanism of the market stability reserve. "The EU must revise the carbon market and improve thecarbon border adjustment mechanism CBAM to ensure the competitiveness of our companies and strengthen carbon leakage protection," explained the Minister.
"All European decision-makers are now called upon to preserve the special material network here in the Central German Chemical Triangle and to further develop it in a future-proof manner. This key industry is a guarantee for innovation and economic stability in eastern Germany," concluded Minister Sven Schulze.
Background: The joint declaration by the employers' associations and trade unions was presented to Elisabeth Kaiser, the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany. The declaration calls for concrete steps to improve the competitiveness of the industry and secure chemical jobs in eastern Germany. It includes five central demands:
- Securing jobs and value creation
Urgent measures to prevent plant closures and job losses as well as the creation of stable framework conditions for the industry. - Strengthening resilience and safeguarding critical infrastructures
Promoting investment in critical production sites and ensuring security of supply by the EU, particularly as part of the Critical Chemicals Alliance. - Reliable energy supply at competitive prices
Introduction of an industrial electricity price and expansion of electricity price compensation as well as long-term measures to ensure a competitive energy supply. - Reconciling climate policy and competitiveness
Reform of the European Emissions Trading System (ETS), suspension of the phase-out of free emission allowances and improvement of theCarbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to avoid distortions of competition. - Efficient planning and approval procedures
Acceleration and digitalization of approval processes as well as a reduction in regulatory hurdles in order to implement necessary investments and changes quickly.
Source: Ministry of Economy, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry