The president of Bondalti, João de Mello, was re-elected to a new term on the board of Cefic - European Chemical Industry Council, making him the only Portuguese member of the governing bodies of Europe's most important chemical association.
Founded in 1972 and based in Brussels, Cefic currently has around 650 members and organisations representing around 14% of global chemical production and employing 1.2 million workers in the European Union.
The chemical industry, which covers basic, specialised and consumer chemicals, makes a decisive contribution to European economic development, being the sector with the highest added value in the European Union, valued at 335 billion euros, and the fourth largest producer in the manufacturing sector. In 2022, the European chemical industry achieved record sales of 760 billion euros, 32 per cent of which were exports.
Considered the best business organisation in the European Union for the second year running by the ‘BestinBrussels’ yearbook in 2024, Cefic is firmly committed to promoting a prosperous chemical industry, fostering growth and investment in the sector and leveraging the supply of sustainable, safe and resource-efficient solutions.
To meet the challenges facing the chemical industry, Cefic has been an active partner of the European Union and its institutions since its foundation, supporting the implementation of the ‘Green Deal’ and Europe's ambition to become the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. In February 2024, Cefic signed the ‘Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Pact’, a document that emphasises industry's commitment to Europe and its transformation and lists a number of urgent needs in the context of economic, geopolitical and competitiveness challenges on a global scale.
At international level, Cefic has supported the Paris Agreement from the outset and advocates resolute action on the challenges posed by climate change, in line with the IPCC guidelines.
For João de Mello, ‘it is with a great sense of responsibility that I take on the new mandate as a member of Cefic's board of directors. At a time when the chemical industry is going through a delicate moment due to international conflicts and the emergence of non-European markets with significant weight in the sector, Cefic will continue to provide all the necessary support to transform the European Union's economy with innovative and sustainable solutions.’
