PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 12-12-2001, 10AM


Activists Promoting a Different Globalisation Occupy Brussels Headquarters Chemical Lobby

Photographs and images at Reuters, Belga and Télé Bruxelles

“We don’t have to come to Laeken, the real decision making takes places otherwhere.”

In connection with the EU summit of Laeken, an international coalition of activists promoting a different globalisation have this morning occupied the offices of CEFIC, the European lobby group of the chemical industry. The occupation succeeded and lasted untill 11.30 am due to the fact that 10 activists locked themselves on in the office of CEFIC. 45 activists were arrested and are still hold for administrative reasons.
The group of activists with roots in the radical environmental movement wants to denounce the role of the chemical industry in blocking any effective European environmental policy, in a direct and nonviolent way. CEFIC constitutes a symbol of the undemocratic character of the EU, where corporations have a major influence on policy via their lobbygroups. The activist wish to focus on the informal power centres in stead of the official one.


Chemical industry and the environment: responsibility versus “voluntary action”

CEFIC (European chemical industry federation) was founded in 1972 and consists of a network of big and smaller corporations, national chemistry federations and lobby organisations. The objective of the group is “ […] to be a reliable representative of the chemical industry and offer our members the services they need, maximise their benefits and in doing so, reduce their costs.” The members of CEFIC are responsible for about 30% of the world-wide production of chemicals and for a number of current environmental problems as well.
For during the production, as well as in use, and on disposal synthetic chemicals can release damaging substances which today are ubiquitous in in water, food, the earth and in living organisms. In addition, the chemical industry is extremely energy intensive. In this way, the sector contributes to climate change.

The chemical industry forms an important part of environmental problems, on top of that, she tries through her lobby organisation CEFIC to block an effective European environmental policy. In order to do that, the organisation tries to spread a positive image of the chemical industry. “Chemistry makes a world of difference” is not the company’s slogan by coincidence. CEFIC feels they “play an important role to make the world a better place”. In other words, the chemical industry poses as part of the solution, in stead of being the problem. Voluntary action of the industry would be more effective than restrictive policy, CEFIC argues. Two projects that have to support that active image are “Responsible Care” and the “Voluntary Energy Efficiency Programme”. The “Responsible Care” program is designed to promote and stimulate voluntary initiatives of the chemical industry in the fields of health, safety and the environment. The “Voluntary Energy Efficiency Programme” (VEEP), is supposed to form the answer to the Kyoto-protocol, with which the chemical industry binds itself to a 20% improvement of energy efficiency by 2005.
The projects get full attention on the website of CEFIC. The concrete results, however, are nowhere to be found, while CEFIC uses these programs to pressure governments to stop new policy, binding rules and control mechanisms. For example the VEEP has as a condition that no new energy taxes will be put in place. CEFIC also opposes the implementation of CO2-tax although 9 out of 15 member states have already implemented such a tax. For CEFIC the Kyoto protocol can only take place if it doesn’t obstruct the competitiveness and opportunities for growth of the current chemical industry. But if CEFIC wants to pursue the interests of the chemical industry no matter what, voluntary action will never provide a solution! Small reductions in pollution will become insignificant because of a general increase of productivity.
CEFIC´s efforts to position the chemical industry as part of the solution are accompanied by close contacts with both the European Commission and the European Parliament. This combination proves to be quite successful. Cefic played an important role in the establishing of the European chemical policy. Old regulation was full of holes and lacunas. The recent vote in the European Parliament again showed the power of the short term interests of the chemical industry: Parliament members voted to further weaken controls of dangerous chemicals proposed by the commission!

In sync with this action we are publishing a brochure on Cefic, the European industrial lobby, and more backgrounds behind this action. It is online at www.aseed.net/cefic-action


The participants of this action

Activist occupying CEFIC are mainly Dutch and Belgian but some are Spanish, Italian, German or Greek.

Wildgroei is a Belgian direct action group that has opposed various infrastructure projects, such as the closing of the Antwerp Ring Road. (vredesactie.ngonet.be/wildgroei [Dutch])
The Environment Workinggroup of JNM is campaigner for climate justice, organic agriculture and against genetic engineering. ( info@jnm.be)
A SEED is Action for Solidarity, Equality and Ecological Development, a grassroots network aiming at the fundamental causes of the ecological and social crisis. (www.aseed.net [English])
Green Front, EarthFirst! Netherlands is a convenient banner for uncompromising ecologists, and well known in the Netherlands for opposing the Betuwelijn, the most important European cargo-line under construction from Rotterdam to the Ruhr-area. (www.groenfront.nl [English/Dutch])
Ecological Projectcentre The Wasp is a radical environmental collective in Leuven ( wesp@groenfront.nl).