Euro Chlor is the association of
chloralkali plant operators in Europe, its members representing 97% of European
chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is ...
and
sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions .
Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkal ...
production capacity.
Its main activities are
lobbying
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whic ...
for the industry and collaboration with respect to production methods, safety and environmental protection.
Euro Chlor is a sector group of
European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic)
and a member of
World Chlorine Council.
Euro Chlor represents 39 producers which operate at 58 manufacturing locations in 19 European countries.
Four product groups are part of Euro Chlor: European Chlorinated Solvents Association (ECSA), Chlorinated Alkane Product Group (CAPG), Potassium Product Group and Sodium Chlorate Product Group (SCPG).
History
Euro Chlor was established in 1989.
The immediate motivation for its creation was an anti-chlorine campaign led by
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth ...
, which was seen as threatening the industry. The campaigners were seeking to ban specific uses of chlorine (like for the manufacture of
PVC or
paper production) or the chlorine industry as a whole, citing health and environmental hazards of chlorine and chlorine compounds.
Euro Chlor was meant to provide counterbalance viewpoint to government regulators and the public.
In 1991 the European Chlorine Derivatives Council (ECDC), European Chlorinated Solvents Association (ECSA) and Chlorinated Paraffins Sector Group merged with Euro Chlor, creating the Euro Chlor Federation.
In 2018 Sodium Chlorate Product Group joined Euro Chlor.
Euro Chlor's direct predecessor with respect to technical activities was ''Bureau International du Chlore'' (BITC), established in 1953. Its activities were focused on gathering industry statistics and collaboration with respect to manufacturing technology, workplace safety and environmental protection.
In 1972 BITC established the Working Group on Production, Storage and Transport safety (GEST), which publishes technical recommendations.
References
External links
*
European Chlorinated Solvents Association a subgroup within Euro Chlor
Chemistry trade associations
Pan-European trade and professional organizations
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