The FH Brussels Environment and Chemicals Practice combines an in-depth understanding of EU chemicals policy with political insight to develop and execute winning advocacy and communications strategies.
We help you understand and have a say on the future of EU chemicals policy
The European Union is a global leader on chemicals policy with the world’s most comprehensive and ambitious legislative framework governing the production and use of chemicals.
The EU’s chemicals regulations have a strong impact not only on the chemicals industry itself, but also on anyone who uses, sells or imports products containing chemicals and at all levels – from manufacturer to retailer and recycler.
As a part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission is committed to simplify and strengthen the EU rules on chemicals with the ‘Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability’ and the ‘Zero-Pollution Europe’ ambition more widely.
The aim is to ensure that the EU’s chemicals policies are fit for the circular economy with improved protection against hazardous chemicals while boosting competitiveness and innovation.
Our role is to help you to make sense of these developments and to understand the potential business impacts. We support the development and execution of a clear public affairs and governmental relations action plan in response.
We are experts in advocacy and communications on chemicals regulatory issues
We help producers and users of chemicals to navigate and engage with the EU’s highly complex legislative framework of more than 40 pieces of legislation covering chemicals.
The cornerstones of the EU’s policy on industrial chemicals remain the EU Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH Regulation) and the EU Regulation on Classification and Labelling (CLP Regulation).
Our experienced team works or has worked across all REACH and CLP processes with extensive experience in the key processes of harmonised classification and labelling (CLH), REACH Authorisation and REACH Restriction.
Downstream, we support our clients on their issues within sectoral legislation on chemicals and substance in specific products or settings. This includes the Directive on Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) as well as EU rules on food contact materials, food additives, toys and cosmetics. We also regularly engage on EU occupational health and safety legislation under both the Chemicals Agents Directive (CAD) and the Carcinogen and Mutagens Directive (CMD).
The European Union exports its rules on chemicals to the rest of the world. We have expertise in advising on the interface between EU and global chemicals regulations, including regulatory processes under the EU’s Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Regulation) and the Stockholm Convention.
At the end of the lifecycle, our team advises businesses on dealing with the issues in the interface between EU chemicals, products and waste legislation. A core area in the EU’s Circular Economy Strategy. You can read more about our EU Circular Economy expertise here.
Our services
Our team of experts can support your advocacy and communications engagement on EU chemicals issues:
- Design of winning strategies and political insight
We help you understand your political audiences and present your best case.
To develop your engagement strategy, we base our recommendations on years of experience in ‘lobbying’ on EU chemicals policy and clear empirical examples of what works and doesn’t work.
We will assist you in setting clear objectives for your engagement, identifying the main stakeholders and developing messaging that resonates with the decision makers who matter to you.
As your political advisor on chemicals policy, we will give you insights what’s going on behind the scenes in Brussels, in agencies, and at national level and provide thought leadership on the future political context for your business.
- Execution of advocacy programmes
We support you in selecting effective engagement tactics and ensure the successful roll-out of your advocacy plan through every step of the EU’s many chemical complex regulatory processes.
Our team prepares and facilitates your outreach to the EU’s policymakers on chemicals: the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
In addition to providing you with the required essential materials and logistical support for advocacy, we can directly support you when meeting policymakers.
Without any evaluation, the success or failure of engagement can’t be understood. We give you tools that enable you to track the progress of engagement and provide you with a full assessment of results.
- Communications, third-party mobilisation and media
Any regulatory and political debate is shaped by perception, we help you manage the external noise that affects your case and to mobilise your supporters.
We have extensive experience and expertise on communicating complex topics on chemicals and regulatory processes. We help you in selecting the best communications channels for your issue, in the development of striking content and dissemination to your audiences.
Our team regularly engages with the main trade media on chemicals. We are experienced in both proactively and reactively engaging with media in Brussels and across the EU.
Value-chain engagement and mobilisation is often essential to meet advocacy and communications objectives. Our team has a wide network in Brussels and a track record of successfully mobilising support in favour of our client’s cases.
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