EVENTS
Event in European Parliament highlights crucial role of lubricants for a sustainable and competitive Europe
On 18 March, the Union of the European Lubricants Industry organised an event, hosted by EPP Vice-Chair MEP Massimiliano Salini, on the topic of ‘Chemicals and manufacturing in Europe: The perspective of the lubricants industry in delivering a competitive, energy- efficient and sustainable future.’
The institutional representatives then gave the floor to speakers from across the industry value chain and Europe to share their insights. Their diverse perspectives provided a comprehensive and integrated vision of the industry’s role in fostering a clean and competitive future while reaffirming its commitment to sustainable transformation.
Left to right: Mattia Adani, Otto Linher, Dr. Sebastian Heiner, Elisa Swanson-Parbäck and Miltos Bantis
Attended by representatives from all the European Institutions (Commission, Parliament and Council), the lubricants sector and related industry associations, the event provided participants with a deeper understanding of our unique industry.
Following an introduction by MEP Salini, a member of the European Parliament’s Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee and a substitute of the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee, Otto Linher, Senior REACH expert at the European Commission’s DG GROW, gave an overview of the forthcoming Chemicals Industry Package, a large part of which will consist of a proposal for the REACH revision. Adopting a different approach compared to the past, the new Commission’s DG Environment and DG GROW will focus on simplification and modernisation, with new requirements to be limited as much as possible. Otto Linher also underlined the Commission’s commitment to work closely with industry. Additionally, remarks from MEP Salini and the European Commission emphasised the vital importance of stakeholder engagement in the democratic process.
54 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.187 JUNE 2025
Dr. Sebastian Heiner (FUCHS Group) highlighted how lubricants improve sustainability by reducing friction, wear, and energy consumption across various industries, including transportation, wind energy, and data centres. His presentation also outlined the defossilisation pathways available to the lubricants industry to ensure its net-zero transition, including biogenic carbon, captured carbon and recycled carbon. It concluded by stressing that modern life is impossible without lubricants and that achieving sustainability requires significant investment in alternative carbon sources and supply chain innovations.
His arguments were further developed by Elisa Swanson-Parbäck (Perstorp AB), who explored the transition to sustainable carbon in the chemicals industry. After emphasising that chemicals remain the only sector entirely dependent on carbon, she presented an extract from a comprehensive study on European carbon supply and demand. The study projects that while European energy, fuel and manufacturing sectors will be less carbon-dependent due to alternative technologies taking stage in 2025, this sustainable carbon supply will not meet market needs. Therefore, Europe needs to consider all carbon sources - renewable, recycled and captured CO2
(also from fossil sources) - and use sustainable
carbon where it adds the most value. She also pointed to the opportunity that this presents as, although Europe cannot compete in fossil resources, it has the potential to lead in sustainable carbon innovation. She concluded with a call for a unified regulatory framework to support sustainable carbon adoption, incentives to drive demand, and policies ensuring a circular, self-sufficient carbon economy in Europe.
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