Policy Priorities
Competitiveness, Internal Market & Simplification
Policy context
Strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, industrial resilience and the functioning of the Single Market is a central priority for the European Commission. Recent policy initiatives increasingly emphasise the need to ensure that EU legislation remains fit for purpose, coherent and proportionate, while supporting investment, innovation and the transition to a sustainable economy.
In this context, the Commission is advancing a range of initiatives that combine simplification efforts with industrial policy objectives, including:
- The publication of several omnibus packages aimed at streamlining and simplifying chemical, environmental, feed and food legislation, including the Chemicals Omnibus, targeted at EU chemicals legislation
- the development of “lead markets” and demand‑side measures, designed to stimulate demand for sustainable and low‑carbon products,
- upcoming legislative initiatives such as the Industrial Accelerator Act, Circular Economy Act and Biotech Act, and
- wider reflections on the functioning of supply chains and the Single Market, including under the Unfair Trading Practices framework, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition agenda, and deforestation-related measures.
These initiatives are part of a broader policy direction, reflected in Commission language on the Clean Industrial Deal, the Single Market Strategy, and the EU’s competitiveness agenda, which seeks to combine sustainability objectives with industrial growth and market efficiency
The role of the cleaning and hygiene products industry
The cleaning and hygiene products industry operates across the EU Single Market, supplying essential products used daily by consumers, professionals and public services. Its activities depend on integrated value chains, access to raw materials and the consistent application of EU rules across Member States.
As a downstream user sector, the industry is directly affected by:
- upstream and downstream supply‑chain dynamics,
- the design of market‑pull measures and lead market initiatives, and
- the interaction between product regulation, sustainability requirements and industrial policy instruments.
For this sector, competitiveness is closely linked to ensuring that policy frameworks remain:
- coherent across different legislative initiatives,
- proportionate for downstream users, including SMEs, and
- compatible with the smooth functioning of the Single Market.
Detergents Europe’s role
Detergents Europe contributes to policy developments on competitiveness, simplification and the Single Market by providing practical, implementation‑focused expertise, reflecting the experience of a downstream, formulation‑based industry.
Its work focuses on:
- engaging with EU institutions and stakeholders on lead market and demand‑side measures, including through discussions linked to the Critical Chemicals Alliance and related expert groups
- contributing to debates on the design of new legislative initiatives such as the Industrial Accelerator Act and Circular Economy Act, ensuring that downstream industries are appropriately reflected,
- supporting efforts to improve regulatory coherence and simplification, particularly through initiatives such as the Chemicals Omnibus, and
- coordinating with cross‑sector partners to ensure that downstream perspectives are taken into account in increasingly upstream‑driven policy discussions.
Priorities for the sector
From an industry perspective, competitiveness, simplification and the functioning of the Single Market are closely linked to several key areas:
- Ensuring simplification and regulatory coherence
Simplification initiatives, including the Chemicals Omnibus, should reduce administrative burden while maintaining effective and consistent rules across the EU. - Supporting balanced and inclusive industrial policy measures
Lead market initiatives, including those developed under the Industrial Accelerator Act, Circular Economy Act and Biotech Act, should be designed to: - reflect the role of downstream industries,
- ensure fair access to sustainable feedstocks, and
- avoid disproportionate costs or obligations for consumer goods sectors
- Preserving a well-functioning Single Market
Avoiding fragmentation and ensuring consistent implementation across Member States remains essential for competitiveness and supply‑chain efficiency. - Maintaining fair and resilient supply chains
Discussions on the Unfair Trading Practices Directive and related initiatives should ensure balanced conditions across the value chain, including for fast‑moving consumer goods sectors - Ensuring proportionate and effective consumer and sustainability frameworks
Measures under the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition agenda and deforestation‑related legislation should remain clear, workable and consistent with existing requirements.
Detergents Europe supports a policy approach that ensures that EU initiatives on competitiveness, sustainability and simplification are mutually reinforcing, delivering a regulatory framework that is both effective in achieving its objectives and practical to implement across complex value chains.