UKLA President’s Report
This is my last UKLA President’s report as I step down from the role in September and handover to Harald Oosting, President and CEO of Olyslager who will be UKLA’s first President from mainland Europe. I wish him well in the role.
Harald’s appointment to the UKLA Board initially and then as President sets the tone for us as an outwardly- facing and international body that sees itself very much as part of the continent of Europe. We belong in the European lubricants sector and will play our role a key contributor to and supporter of our European association, UEIL, to the best of our ability.
When I took up the position of UKLA President two years ago I talked about the upcoming 2024 European elections, the clean energy transition enshrined in the green deal and the forthcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) which was still largely unknown.
In 2023, I warned of the dangers of over-regulation stifling competition as it diverts much needed investment in research & development activities into regulatory compliance which adds to the costs of doing business. I also expressed caution that the UK industry needs to be, and be seen to be, part of the solution to carbon neutrality and not part of the problem.
UEIL President’s Report
As we move through the summer season, I would like to encourage all industry colleagues to secure their place at the 60th UEIL Annual Congress in Stresa, which promises to be a significant milestone in our industry calendar.
I am pleased to share an exciting development from the ATIEL & UEIL Joint Sustainability Committee (JSC), the release of a new paper entitled “Lubricants & Greases End of Life: Sustainable Best Practices.” This publication provides practical recommendations to support companies in advancing their sustainability efforts, particularly in the area of lubricant end-of-life management. With links to regularly updated online resources, it represents a valuable tool for staying ahead in a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape (See Page 51 for more details, Ed.).
In regulatory affairs, I am pleased that UEIL has been accepted into the European Commission’s Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement working group - an acknowledgement of our commitment to constructive collaboration with EU policymakers. In recent months, we
4 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.188 AUGUST 2025
Fast forward to today and details of the CBAM are well known, the European Green Deal has become the Industrial Green Deal, although the chemicals industry is suffering due to high regulation and high operational costs compared with our international competitors from the States and Asia.
At the same time there is much to look forward to that is promising. The UK Government is resetting its relationship with the European Union, the Draghi report in Europe has set industrial competitiveness at the heart of the political agenda and there is a growing realisation that too much regulation might not always be a good thing.
As I end my term of office, I would like to thank the UKLA Board for their support over the past two years and also that of the UKLA team. Moreover, I would like to express my gratitude to UKLA members and the wider sector for their support to our industry and our association, indeed this is a sector to which I am proud to belong.
Mike Bewsey, UKLA President
have also submitted feedback to the Commission consultations on the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (MVBER), proposed EU counter-tariffs on US imports and the upcoming Bioeconomy Strategy, reinforcing UEIL’s role as a credible and proactive voice in Brussels.
Meanwhile, our HSE Committee has continued to engage proactively on matters of regulatory importance. In collaboration with ATIEL, we submitted key data to authorities and stakeholders concerning lubricant use and the impact of Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. Furthermore, UEIL experts participated in recent ECHA RAC and SEAC meetings on the potential restrictions of PFAS in lubricants, providing insights from the industry perspective.
I look forward to reconnecting with many of you in Stresa in October!
Mattia Adani, UEIL President
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
