ESIG News & Events

In October, we had the pleasure of hosting our annual General Assemblies for ESIG, HSPA, OSPA, and OSPA Glycol Ethers. It was a valuable opportunity for members to discuss progress and challenges, agree on our workplans for 2025, and introduce new chairs to lead us forward.

We’re pleased to announce that Aurélie Carlier (Ineos Oxide) has successor of Karen Smet (Ineos Oxide) as TC Chair for Glycol Ethers, and Irene Munao (Dow) has taken over from Yannick Schoenauer (Dow) as TC Chair for OSPA. Jérôme Durantet (TotalEnergies) was confirmed in his role as Chair for Air Quality and TC HSPA, as was Anna Tancorra (ExxonMobil) as Chair of HSPA.

We extend our sincere thanks to the outgoing chairs for their dedication and efforts. Special recognition goes to Christiaan Fetter (Lyondell Basell), Karen Smet (Ineos Oxide), and Yannick Schoenauer (DOW) for their years of service.

This year, we had the honour of welcoming George Kapantaidakis, Director of Industrial Policy at Cefic, as our keynote speaker. In his inspiring talk, “From the Antwerp Declaration to the Clean Industrial Deal,” he underscored the vital role of Europe’s chemical industry. Europe is home to the world’s second-largest chemical sector, standing strong between China and the U.S. The Antwerp Declaration, the first industry-authored document embraced by the European Parliament, exemplifies the EU’s recognition of our industry’s importance.

Following our meeting, members enjoyed a guided tour of Brussels’ hidden gems and a dinner celebrating our accomplishments over the past year. It was the perfect end to a productive assembly.