Formacare Value Chain Alliance

The Formaldehyde Value Chain Alliance was a unique partnership between:

Formaldehyde producers

(Formacare – a sector group of Cefic)

Trade Unions

ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) & industriAll European Trade Union

Employers’ association ECEG

(European Chemicals Employers Group)

The Value Chain Alliance started working together in 2016 in order to work together to limit exposure to formaldehyde for 30,000 EU workers. 

All four parties agreed to tighten the EU-wide binding occupational exposure limit (BOEL) for formaldehyde and decrease the maximum allowed exposure threshold from up to 2ppm to 0.3 ppm. 

  • Joint declaration on legal framework to manage risks related to the sue of reprotoxic substances at the workplace 
  • Coalition letter supporting Commission Proposal on amending CMD Directive and inclusion of formaldehyde 

    “The agreement is a result of the work that Formacare and the European Chemical Employers Group (ECEG), as well as trade unions representatives from the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and industriALL, have done over the past few years in the context of the revision of the EU Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD) to promote workplace safety. It is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved via open and constructive collaboration with our trade union partners”. 

    Lars Eric Johansson, Chairman of Formacare  

     

    The Alliance also worked together to request that formaldehyde be covered by the revised EU Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work (CMD).   

    Following the agreement reached by the Alliance members, this value was also approved by the European Parliament during the revision of the CMD Directive and included in the scope of the Directive. 

    The Alliance was recognised for its work by receiving the European Association’s Silver Collaboration Award – The Formaldehyde Value Chain Alliance promoting worker safety received the European Association’s Silver Collaboration Award in 2019. 

    “The participation of trade unions in the Governance Committee of the Voluntary Agreement is another expression of a well-functioning social dialogue that involves all relevant stakeholders. As part of Formaldehyde Value Chain Alliance, ECEG fully supports the Voluntary Agreement”. 

    Emma Argutyan, Director General of the ECEG