Archive:Chemicals production statistics

Data from September 2014. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database. Planned article update: October 2015.

Figure 1: Production of chemicals, EU-28, 2004–13
(2004 = 100) - Source: Eurostat (tsdph320)

Figure 2: Production of environmentally harmful chemicals, by environmental effect class, EU-28, 2004–13 (1)
(million tonnes) - Source: Eurostat (ten00011)

Figure 3: Production of toxic chemicals, by toxicity class, EU-28, 2004–13 (1)
(million tonnes) - Source: Eurostat (tsdph320)

Work on European Union (EU) statistics concerning hazardous substances started in the mid-1990s when a set of environmental pressure indicators (EPIs) related to chemicals were developed. More recently, a set of indicators to monitor the effectiveness of the Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) have been developed. This article presents an analysis of indicators that have been developed and compiled by Eurostat, covering the production of industrial chemicals.

Main statistical findings

Total production of chemicals

Figure 1 shows the development of EU-28 chemical production since 2004, using an index based on the level (or quantity) of output. EU-28 chemicals production increased continuously between 2004 and 2007, rising overall by 5 % to reach a peak of 366 million tonnes in 2007. During the financial and economic crisis, production fell by 27 million tonnes (or 7 %) in 2008 and by a further 43 million tonnes (or 13 %) in 2009. The rebound in activity in 2010 more than made up for the losses reported in 2009. In 2011 the production of chemicals in the EU-28 decrease again but stabilized at a lower production level during the years 2011-2013 at approx. 327 million tonnes, which was still some 43 million tonnes below the pre-crisis peak in 2007. In 2013, production fell again slightly, the level of output was 325 million tonnes which was the second lowest level during the period shown in Figure 1, higher only than the level of production in 2009. The production of chemicals is largely concentrated in western Europe: Germany was the largest producer in the EU-28, followed by France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

In broad terms, the overall production of environmentally harmful or toxic chemicals followed a similar development to that for all chemical products, although by 2013 the production of environmentally harmful and the production of toxic chemicals had fallen somewhat further than for all chemicals.

Production of environmentally harmful chemicals

Figure 2 presents the development of the production of environmentally harmful chemicals, analysed according to five classes of environmental effects. The aggregated production of these five classes of chemicals in the EU-28 grew by 1.8 % overall between 2004 and 2007 to reach a peak of 155 million tonnes. Production of environmentally harmful chemicals fell by 24 million tonnes (or 16.0 %) during the next two years to a low of 131 million tonnes in 2009. As for the overall production of chemicals, there was a strong rebound in 2010, followed again by a weakening in output in 2011, and a further fall in 2012 and 2013. This resulted in 137 million tonnes of environmentally harmful chemicals being produced in the EU-28 in 2013, roughly the same as had been produced in 2012 and lower than in all intervening years except for 2009.

The share of environmentally harmful chemicals in total EU-28 chemical production has not changed significantly over the last 10 years: their share stood at 43.5 % in 2004 and decrease modestly to 42.1 % in 2013, having peaked at 44.2 % in 2009. However, there was a wide degree of variation in the development of output for the different classes of chemicals. The largest increases in EU-28 output between 2004 and 2013 were recorded for chemicals with moderate chronic effects (production volume rising by 1.7 % over the period considered), while there was a significant decline in the output of chemicals with chronic effects (production volume -20.3 %) and with severe chronic effects (production volume -9.3 %).

Production of toxic chemicals

Figure 3 presents the development of production quantities of toxic chemicals, analysed according to five toxicity classes. The pattern of output developments for toxic chemicals followed the same basic trend observed for all chemicals, insofar as output tended to rise during the period from 2004 to 2007, after which there was a rapid fall in production that may be associated with the financial and economic crisis, then a strong rebound in 2010. In 2011 the overall production of chemicals decreases again, stabilized in 2012 and, in 2013 decrease again.

The EU-28’s production of toxic chemicals (all five toxicity classes together) increased by 0.6 % between 2004 and 2007 to reach a peak of 231 million tonnes. Production of toxic chemicals fell by 16 million tonnes in 2008 (or by 7.3 %) and by a further 20 million tonnes (or 10.3 %) in 2009 to a level of 196 million tonnes. The rebound in activity in 2010 (up 10.4 %) made up for the losses in output recorded in 2009 but this was followed by a reduction (-5.2 %) in production in 2011 and another reduction 3.1 % in 2013. As a result of these developments, the level of output for toxic chemicals in 2013 was 202 million tonnes, some 28 million tonnes less than 10 years earlier.

The overall share of toxic chemicals (all five classes) in total EU-28 chemicals production followed a very gradual downward path over the 10 years shown in Figure 3. From a peak of 65.6 % of total chemicals production in 2004, the share of toxic chemicals fell (despite a temporary rise in 2009) to 64.2 % in 2010 before declining at a more substantial pace to 62.2 % in 2013. The overall reduction in this share may be attributed to a fall in output levels for toxic chemicals between 2005 and 2006, between 2010 and 2011 and 2012 and 2013 while the level of total chemicals production expanded. Apart from these two years where diverging developments can be observed, the time series from 2004 to 2013 provides little indication that the production of chemicals that are toxic to human health and/or harmful to ecosystems is being significantly decoupled from overall chemicals production.

EU-28 production of the most toxic chemicals — carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) chemicals — fluctuated between 34.5 million tonnes and 36 million tonnes over the period from 2004 to 2007. Output fell by 5.2 million tonnes (or 14.2 %) between 2007 and 2008 to 30.6 million tonnes in 2008. There was a recovery in the level of production untill 2010, as the output of CMR chemicals rose to 34.7 million tonnes — a level similar to that recorded prior to the financial and economic crisis. From the 2010 level the production volume steadily declined to 30.6 million tonnes in 2013 .

The relative share of CMR chemicals in total EU-28 chemical production fell from a high level of 10.0 % in 2004 to 9.0 % by 2008. After a jump to 10.9 % in 2009 the relative share decreases steadily to 9.4 % in 2013, the second lowest level since 2008.

Data sources and availability

The indicators presented in this article are derived from annual statistics on the production of manufactured goods (Prodcom). Statistics are available from 1995 onwards in principle, while statistics on toxic chemicals as well as environmentally harmful chemicals start in 1996. Note that data for the EU-28 aggregate is only available from reference year 2004 onwards.

The information presented on the production of environmentally harmful chemicals and the production of toxic chemicals has been compiled from detailed product statistics. As well as the total figures, each of these aggregates is available with a division into five effect classes: these classes of environmental effects and toxicity to human health follow official classifications in EU legislation based on scientific expert judgement. It should be noted that the indicators do not describe the actual risks associated with the use of chemicals, but instead their level of production in quantity terms. Indeed, production and consumption are not synonymous with exposure, as some chemicals are handled in closed systems, or as intermediate goods in controlled supply chains. With the introduction of REACH the classification systems has been updated according to the CLP/GHS system.

Environmentally harmful chemicals are divided into five classes based on their environmental effects. The effects, beginning with the most harmful, are:

severe chronic environmental effects;
significant chronic environmental effects;
moderate chronic environmental effects;
chronic environmental effects;
significant acute environmental effects.

An analysis of the production of environmentally harmful chemicals can be used to monitor any developments in shifting production from more environmentally harmful to less environmentally harmful chemicals. The classification focuses on aquatic toxicity and seeks to take into account the inherent eco-toxicity of chemical substances, their potential for bioaccumulation and their persistence in the environment. For this purpose, substance specific data on eco-toxicity, biodegradability and bioaccumulation potential have been used. The identification of environmentally harmful chemicals is primarily based on the official environmental classification of substances (CLP).

The indicator on toxic chemicals is a sustainable development indicator within the theme for public health; it is classified as an operational objective and target for the determinants of health. Toxic chemicals may be divided into five toxicity classes. The classes, beginning with the most dangerous, are:

carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) chemicals;
chronic toxic chemicals;
very toxic chemicals;
toxic chemicals;
chemicals classified as harmful.

An analysis of the production of toxic chemicals can be used to monitor any developments in shifting production from more toxic to less toxic chemicals and thereby address an important objective of REACH: to reduce risks through the substitution of hazardous by less hazardous substances.

In 2009, in collaboration with the Directorates General of the European Commission responsible for enterprise and industry and for the environment, Eurostat published a baseline study providing a set of indicators to monitor the effectiveness of the REACH Regulation. In 2012, Eurostat released an update of this study as well as a summary.

Context

Statistical indicators provide information on chemicals that are harmful to human health or/and to the environment. They may be used to measure progress towards a number of objectives.

The General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 — also referred to as the 7th Environment Action Programme (7th EAP) — guides the EU’s environment policy up to 2020.

The 7th EAP asks for continuing the implementation of REACH and to develop — by 2018 — a 'Union strategy for a non-toxic environment' that is conducive to innovation and the development of sustainable substitutes including non-chemical solutions, building on horizontal measures to be undertaken by 2015 to ensure: (1) the safety of manufactured nanomaterials and materials with similar properties; (2) the minimisation of exposure to endocrine disruptors; (3) appropriate regulatory approaches to address combination effects of chemicals and (4) the minimisation of exposure to chemicals in products, including inter alia imported products, with a view to promoting non-toxic material cycles and reducing indoor exposure to harmful substances.

Other European initiatives such as the EU’s sustainable development strategy and international agreements at UN level require indicators for measuring progress in the sound management of chemicals.

The Sustainable Development Goals proposed after the Rio+20 summit request that 'by 2030 the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals will be substantially reduced' (Goal 3: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns) and that 'by 2020 the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle shall be achieved' (Goal 12: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Main tables

Sustainable development indicators, see:

Indicators

Public health

Sub-theme: determinants of health

Index of production of toxic chemicals, by toxicity class (tsdph320)

Environment - Hazardous substances, see main tables:

Production of environmentally harmful chemicals, by environmental effect class (ten00011)

Production of toxic chemicals, by toxicity class (tsdph320)

Source data for tables and figures (MS Excel)

Chemicals management statistics: tables and figures

External links