Magdeburg / Berlin. As part of the Chemistry Agenda 2045, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), in collaboration with the Federal Chancellery, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), the Mining, Chemical, and Energy Industrial Union (IGBCE), as well as selected companies in the sector and several state ministries of economic affairs, has sought to find solutions to the current crisis in the chemical industry. Measures for a future agenda for the chemical industry in 2045 were also to be adopted. On March 26, the BMWE will publish the results in Berlin. Despite the positive approaches and the involvement in the process, the participating states believe that the necessary steps were not taken to significantly improve the competitive conditions of the chemical industry, even in the short term.
The states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saxony-Anhalt, all of which have major chemical industry sites, have therefore summarized their expectations for the federal government’s Chemical Industry Agenda 2045 in a joint letter. Michael Richter, Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture, and Forestry, commented: “The Chemical Industry Agenda 2045 is a significant first step, but it must not be the end of the process. It is now crucial to continue on this path with significantly greater momentum, greater commitment, and a much stronger focus on goals. The chemical industry is an indispensable component of industrial value creation—not only in Saxony-Anhalt, but throughout Germany. It secures jobs and guarantees technological progress.”
In their letter, the states call on the federal government to take concrete measures to strengthen Germany’s competitiveness and pave the way out of the current crisis. These include competitive electricity and gas prices, a consistent reduction of regulatory burdens, and a consistent dismantling of bureaucratic hurdles. The states expect the process of the Chemical Industry Agenda 2045 to remain open and to be rapidly advanced in order to secure Germany’s position as an industrial hub in the long term.
In the letter, the states declare their willingness to continue to support the process constructively and to work together with the federal government on viable solutions. They emphasize that the Chemical Industry Agenda 2045 must become a genuine commitment to the future of the chemical industry in Germany and a binding guiding principle for the federal government’s actions. The states expect the federal government to consistently pursue this goal and take the necessary measures to strengthen the chemical industry in Germany.
Source: Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture, and Forestry