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Eurogypsum

EUROGYPSUM

Eurogypsum represents European gypsum product manufacturers, promoting industry interests and highlighting gypsum's role in construction across Europe.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Mirzha De Manuel (Cabinet of Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis) and European Insulation Manufacturers Association and Bureau International du Béton Manufacturé

9 Dec 2025 · Implementation of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)

Meeting with Philippe Moseley (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen) and European Insulation Manufacturers Association and

9 Dec 2025 · Implementation of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)

Eurogypsum urges realistic recycling targets for EU taxonomy criteria

5 Dec 2025
Topic — The initiative reviews the EU taxonomy environmental delegated act to update technical screening criteria.
Message — Eurogypsum recommends aligning the primary raw material threshold for new buildings to 83% because available recycled waste is limited. They also ask to include by-products as non-primary materials to ensure consistency with construction laws.12
Why — This would reduce the risk of being excluded from sustainable investments due to unrealistic recycling expectations.34
Impact — Oversight bodies lose independent verification as producers seek to remove conflict-of-interest restrictions for certifiers.5
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Eurogypsum Urges Realistic Targets and Priority for Closed-Loop Recycling

6 Nov 2025
Topic — The European Commission is proposing a Circular Economy Act to promote sustainable production.
Message — Eurogypsum calls for recycled content requirements to be set at the national level based on waste availability. They advocate for mandatory EU-wide demolition audits and higher taxes on landfilling unsorted waste.123
Why — National flexibility protects manufacturers from unachievable mandates while increasing their access to recycled minerals.45
Impact — Landfill operators and construction firms would face higher taxes and stricter waste sorting costs.67
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Eurogypsum urges harmonized EU building carbon calculation methodology

31 Oct 2025
Topic — A new framework for calculating life-cycle global warming potential for new buildings.
Message — Eurogypsum calls for a unified methodology covering the full life cycle to ensure fair competition. They argue that excluding later stages would ignore the benefits of durable and recyclable materials.12
Why — A harmonized approach would lower administrative costs and emphasize the value of recyclable gypsum products.34
Impact — Climate goals are weakened if national governments focus only on initial production emissions.5
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Response to New European Bauhaus

17 Oct 2025

The New European Bauhaus initiative is a great tool for the promotion of sustainable, low-carbon, and circular solutions for the built environment. In our view, vertical extension and the "recycling of buildings" more broadly are such best practices which should to be promoted via the NEB initiative. Attached please find a report from a recent policy workshop held by Eurogypsum on the topic of vertical extension. It outlines the benefits of this method of urban densification and ways in which EU policy can support a broader uptake of this solution.
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Eurogypsum Urges Faster Permits and Raw Material Access

18 Sept 2025
Topic — Strategy to improve construction productivity and address the European housing supply gap.
Message — Eurogypsum demands shorter permit timelines for quarries and housing developments. They propose an EU Observatory to track raw material availability and address supply risks. They seek incentives for modular construction and rooftop extensions to densify cities.123
Why — Streamlined regulations would reduce project delays and lower manufacturing and construction costs.4
Impact — Local activists and planning authorities would have less power to block new projects.5
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Eurogypsum Urges State Aid for Sectors Transitioning to Electrification

5 Sept 2025
Topic — Updating guidelines for state aid to compensate companies for indirect carbon costs.
Message — Eurogypsum urges aid for sectors that will undergo significant electrification in coming years. They seek visibility on future state aid to provide investment certainty.12
Why — Support mechanisms would help companies pay for the switch to electric manufacturing.34
Impact — Companies in countries without aid would struggle to compete against subsidised rivals.5
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Meeting with Chris Uregian (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto), Kyriacos Kyriacou (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto)

4 Sept 2025 · Exchange of views

Eurogypsum Urges Inclusive Support for Industrial Decarbonisation Efforts

8 Jul 2025
Topic — The consultation addresses the proposed Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act for energy-intensive industries.
Message — The federation requests broadening funding eligibility to include "easier-to-abate" sectors and smaller projects. They also demand streamlined grid permitting and procurement criteria favoring low-carbon materials.12
Why — Broadened eligibility would allow gypsum manufacturers to secure subsidies currently reserved for higher-emission sectors.3
Impact — Non-EU manufacturers would face disadvantages as public tenders shift toward favoring European-made products.4
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Response to European Affordable Housing Plan

3 Jun 2025

The European Commission has taken an important step towards addressing the pressing issue of the housing crisis at the European level. The inclusion of housing policy into the portfolio of the Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, and the announcement of the upcoming European Affordable Housing Plan provided a new momentum on the topic. Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of gypsum product manufacturers, welcomes these announcements and believes that lightweight construction using gypsum products offers unique advantages with regards to affordability, innovation, efficiency and sustainability, which should be duly recognised in the future European Affordable Housing Plan. Gypsum solutions help provide housing in a resource and cost efficient manner. They are moreover indispensable for energy renovations and prolonging the lifespan of existing buildings. We therefore encourage the uptake of following five recommendations in the European Affordable Housing Plan: 1) Make the best use of existing buildings and construction resources. 2) Utilise domestic resources & local industries to support the EUs competitiveness. 3) Boost the uptake of modular and offsite construction. 4) Maintain the ambition on energy efficiency of buildings. 5) Do not overlook indoor comfort and safety. Please see the attached file for more details about these five recommendations, including supporting data, best practice examples, and policy proposals.
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Meeting with Alicia Homs Ginel (Member of the European Parliament) and Glass for Europe

20 May 2025 · Sustainable construction in the European Affordable Housing Plan

Meeting with Andrea Wechsler (Member of the European Parliament) and Hydrogen Europe and Statkraft AS

8 Apr 2025 · EU energy and industry policy

Meeting with Gabriele Bischoff (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Apr 2025 · Austausch

Meeting with Stella Kaltsouni (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen)

24 Mar 2025 · Meeting with Eurogypsum with a focus on notably light weight construction, vertical extension and the upcoming European Affordable Housing Plan.

Eurogypsum urges EU to ditch lowest-price procurement criterion

7 Mar 2025
Topic — Evaluation of EU directives governing public procurement and the award of concessions.
Message — The organization calls for replacing the lowest-price criterion with life-cycle costing to better reflect building energy benefits. They demand alignment between procurement rules and EU energy efficiency legislation. Additionally, they request the formal inclusion of energy renovation works in the directives.12
Why — The industry would benefit from increased demand for European-made, energy-efficient construction materials.34
Impact — Non-European manufacturers and low-cost competitors would lose their advantage in public tenders.56
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Eurogypsum urges local water sharing and increased innovation funding

4 Mar 2025
Topic — The European Commission is developing a multi-annual plan for water resilient management.
Message — Eurogypsum seeks a local framework for industrial symbiosis, allowing companies to share water. They also request funding to reduce the water footprint of manufacturing.123
Why — Direct financial support would lower the high costs of installing water-recycling technology.4
Impact — Taxpayers and other sectors may lose if the multiannual budget prioritizes industrial water projects.5
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Meeting with Irene Tinagli (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

18 Feb 2025 · Meeting on housing issues

Meeting with Marcos Ros Sempere (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

18 Feb 2025 · Meeting with Eurogypsum

Meeting with Elisabetta Gualmini (Member of the European Parliament) and Terna spa

16 Oct 2024 · ITRE Committee

Meeting with Marion Walsmann (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Sept 2024 · Aktuelle Herausforderungen der Gipsindustrie

Meeting with Stefan Köhler (Member of the European Parliament) and FEFANA

17 Jul 2024 · Politischer Austausch

Meeting with Christian Doleschal (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

5 Jun 2024 · BauPVO

European gypsum industry seeks clearer carbon allowance rules

22 Dec 2023
Topic — Updating the European Union rules for distributing free greenhouse gas emission permits.
Message — The industry recommends increasing the payback time threshold for energy efficiency improvements to five years. They also request clarification on how different compensations for indirect costs will be aligned.12
Why — This would reduce the financial risks for companies transitioning to electrified production processes.34
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Meeting with Seán Kelly (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Jul 2023 · EU Nature Restoration Law

Response to European Critical Raw Materials Act

2 Jun 2023

Eurogypsum, the association representing the interests of the European gypsum supply and gypsum product manufacturing industry, is committed to the objective of supplying essential raw materials to European societies in the most sustainable way and substantially contributing to the objectives of the European Green Deal. We welcome the presentation of a Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) as a clear momentum for the EU to consider the importance of raw materials supply to secure its most strategic objectives. The concept of strategic raw materials, added to the existing category of critical raw materials, shows the growing importance of strategic concerns when dealing with the security of raw materials supply. However, we regret that the definition of strategic materials and the scope assigned to strategic projects remain too narrow. The renovation of Europes buildings has rightly been defined as a major priority for the EU to achieve its climate neutrality objective. In this light, we strongly believe that this objective should feature high in the strategic considerations when it comes to defining raw materials for which the supply should be facilitated. Furthermore, we believe that focussing all efforts on critical and strategic raw materials as defined in the proposal will result in detrimental consequences as regards the processing of permits and the overall supply conditions of other materials, which are nevertheless essential to achieve the European Unions policy goals. We are therefore calling upon EU institutions to amend the CRMA proposal in order for such materials to be considered as strategic, or to introduce a new category of essential raw materials also benefiting from streamlined permitting and access to finance, as demanded by the Essential Raw Materials Coalition. Please find enclosed further details on our position. We encourage European institutions to consider these aspects and look forward to contributing to the debates on this major subject for Europes raw materials supply.
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Eurogypsum Urges More Realistic Circularity Thresholds in Green Finance Rules

3 May 2023
Topic — The consultation defines technical criteria for environmentally sustainable investments in circularity and biodiversity.
Message — The industry requests that manufacturers be eligible and that recycling targets be lowered. They argue that proposed thresholds are unfeasible due to low waste volumes.123
Why — Granting these requests would reduce compliance pressure and open green funding to manufacturers.45
Impact — Environmentalists lose as the industry advocates for a significant reduction in recycling requirements.67
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Eurogypsum urges alignment with global chemical labelling standards

29 Mar 2023
Topic — The European Commission is revising rules for classifying and labelling hazardous chemical substances.
Message — Eurogypsum argues that new hazard classes must align with the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System. They also support pragmatic labelling rules for small packaging and the development of digital information solutions.12
Why — Aligning EU rules with international standards would reduce operational discrepancies and compliance costs for companies.3
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Eurogypsum Urges Mandatory Asbestos Screening for Safer Building Recycling

7 Feb 2023
Topic — EU consultation on new rules for screening, registering and monitoring asbestos in buildings.
Message — The group proposes mandatory asbestos certificates for property sales and audits before renovations. They also request clear limit values and harmonized rules for detecting asbestos fibres.123
Why — This would help the industry increase recycling volumes and avoid expensive landfilling.45
Impact — Homeowners would face increased costs and administrative burdens from mandatory screening certificates.6
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Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and BUSINESSEUROPE and

11 Oct 2022 · Industrial Emissions Directive

Gypsum industry backs nature restoration with multi-stakeholder approach

5 Aug 2022
Topic — EU regulation setting legally binding targets for restoring degraded ecosystems and biodiversity.
Message — The industry requests recognition of non-state actors' contribution to restoration targets and wants multi-stakeholder involvement formally included in National Restoration Plans. They emphasize that quarries provide refuge to endangered species and that extraction activities already integrate ecosystem management during operations.123
Why — This would formalize their existing biodiversity work and position them as key partners in restoration.45
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Response to Review of the Construction Products Regulation

12 Jul 2022

Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of producers of gypsum products (such as plaster and plasterboard), believes that the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is a good instrument to regulate the trade of construction products within the European Union. We welcome the proposal presented by the European Commission on 30 March 2022 as an ambitious basis to strengthen and modernise the existing rules, as well as to speed up the uptake of sustainable and circular practices in the construction product manufacturing industry. Eurogypsum supports the objective of making construction products more durable, repairable, recyclable and easier to re-manufacture. The gypsum industry has engaged for many years to facilitate and boost the actual recycling of gypsum-based products such as plasterboards. Pending a more detailed examination of the proposal and its expected impact, in dialogue with the Commission and other stakeholders, we have identified a number of elements requiring specific attention: 1) The level of ambition 2) The regulatory power 3) The assessment of the environmental performance of products 4) Market surveillance and the verification of conformity 5) The articulation with the "CPR Acquis" 6) Product labelling and information supply 7) Labelling on environmental information 8) The consistency with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) 9) Links with building level initiatives You will find our comments on these points in the paper submitted together with this feedback. We thank in advance the European institutions for taking our comments into account when reviewing the Commission's proposal, and are at your disposal for any further information.
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Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and European Chemical Industry Council

28 Jun 2022 · Industrial Emissions Directive

Response to Sustainable Products Initiative

22 Jun 2022

Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of producers of gypsum products (such as plaster and plasterboard), welcomes the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) and its core objective of making products placed on the EU market more sustainable. Gypsum is an eternally recyclable mineral widely used for sustainable construction, and our industry is committed to promoting close loop recycling of gypsum waste. We are convinced that the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is the right tool to support the SPI’s objectives as regards construction products, which are intermediary products aimed for incorporation into systems and buildings. The proposal to revise the CPR, which was presented simultaneously with the SPI, can help to speed up the uptake of sustainable and circular practices in the construction product manufacturing industry, first and foremost with the use of the Declaration of Performance. It is particularly important to maintain the consistency and convergence between a revised CPR and the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), especially in the course of the decision-making process. Eurogypsum will be submitting more detailed comments on the CPR in the separate feedback process.
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Meeting with Radan Kanev (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

20 Jun 2022 · IED

Eurogypsum seeks exemption from updated industrial emissions rules

16 Jun 2022
Topic — Revision of EU rules to limit pollution from industrial and extractive installations.
Message — Eurogypsum requests classifying gypsum as a construction mineral, removing it from the scope. They advocate for tailor-made site approaches rather than generic requirements for small-scale activities.12
Why — The sector avoids excessive regulatory burdens on small quarries with low environmental impact.34
Impact — The EU's zero pollution ambition might suffer if extractive activities remain unregulated.5
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Response to Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU

31 Mar 2022

Eurogypsum, the association representing the interests of the European industry extracting and processing gypsum, welcomes the European Commission’s ambition to boost energy efficiency in buildings, as a substantial contribution to Europe’s move towards climate neutrality. The adoption of a legislative proposal to upgrade the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is a significant development in that regard. Gypsum is a cost-efficient, low carbon, sustainable mineral that has been used for centuries to produce construction materials such as plaster, stucco or plaster-based products. Gypsum based products have a key role to play in the transformation of our buildings with decarbonised, sustainable and healthy materials. Gypsum materials indeed fulfil all requirements to create a sustainable, safe, resilient, comfortable and aesthetically modern living environment for all. Due to their properties and ability to redesign buildings’ interiors in the most flexible way, gypsum solutions are particularly well suited for renovation works. Furthermore, the lightweight gypsum-based construction materials allow a flexible design and forward-looking vertical extensions of buildings, thereby lowering the need for urban space and the footprint of construction and developments. Our industry is therefore a major provider of solutions to make the energy efficiency upgrade of Europe’s existing building stock and future construction a reality. Eurogypsum supports the overall ambition of the EPBD for both new and existing buildings. Further to our responses to previous consultations on the Renovation Wave and the EPBD, our comments would focus on the following aspects: 1) Towards quality, holistic and deep renovations 2) Beyond energy efficiency: A European approach to secure environmental assessment of buildings 3) Planning as a success factor for renovation strategies You will find more details on each of these aspects in the enclosed document. Eurogypsum thanks the Commission for the work conducted on the EPBD and is convinced that the elements suggested in the enclosed paper would contribute to make it a powerful tool to achieve Europe’s climate objectives. We are committed to support this objective, the benefits of gypsum being a key contribution to sustainable and comfortable living and working spaces.
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Response to Review of Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency

8 Nov 2021

The European Commission adopted on 14 July 2021 a major step towards reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. The “Fit for 55” Package aims to introduce the necessary policy and legislation for Europe to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of gypsum product manufacturers, welcomes this announcement and strongly believes that low-carbon and lightweight construction solutions, such as gypsum-based products, are instrumental to achieving the green transition. The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) is an important element of the “Fit for 55” package and is closely interlinked with the EU ETS. Eurogypsum supports the directive’s objectives, but further understanding of the interlinkages especially with the EU ETS and the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) is needed, to avoid duplications and counterproductive effects Indeed, duplication of the industry’s obligations is a matter of concern for our industry. In order to direct the investments to innovation, the EED should be designed in such a way that it clearly supports electrification, both at infrastructure level and financially, and is aligned with the ETD. Eurogypsum would like to repeat its general support to the Fit for 55 package and the EU Green Deal’s long-term objectives. We are willing to contribute, with expertise and in a constructive manner, to the adoption and implementation of meaningful legislation to achieve these objectives, duly considering the feasibility of the measures and a fair sharing of efforts across societal actors. We believe low-carbon and lightweight construction solutions such as gypsum-based systems are instrumental to achieving the green transition and to ensure no one is left behind, as they offer flexible and affordable solutions in new build and renovation. Please find enclosed our full paper on the FF55 package and key elements thereof.
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Response to Revision of the Energy Tax Directive

8 Nov 2021

The European Commission adopted on 14 July 2021 a major step towards reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. The “Fit for 55” Package aims to introduce the necessary policy and legislation for Europe to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of gypsum product manufacturers, welcomes this announcement and strongly believes that low-carbon and lightweight construction solutions, such as gypsum-based products, are instrumental to achieving the green transition. The Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) is one of the biggest enablers for the transition to a decarbonised economy, especially for the industry. It is a sensitive issue though, touching upon EU Member States’ competences in fiscal policies, and will have to be tackled diplomatically to ensure success. Eurogypsum would like to raise the following issues in the current proposal to revise the ETD: A clearer legal and technical definition of Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) would be required to better understand the directive’s precise impact on industrial sectors. While we support reaching a more harmonised approach at EU level for the directive to be instrumental for the EU Green Deal’s objectives, we believe that a general exemption for mineralogical processes should be considered in light of other measures tackling energy-related emissions from such processes (e.g. EU ETS). Clarifications about regulatory duplications in this field would be needed. Decarbonisation not only requires an increasing amount of financial investment in research and process innovation, operating costs, but it also pushes for more electrification. To be explicitly excluded from the ETD, therefore, would help companies be competitive in the European market while investing in decarbonisation technologies. Our industry is aware of the extent of the challenge to achieve carbon neutrality and is ready to contribute actively to this objective. However, attention should be paid to avoid excessively penalising the sector by additional tax payments and doubled electricity costs. Tax reliefs or other mechanisms to refund the CO2 abatement costs would be useful to support the transition. Eurogypsum would like to repeat its general support to the Fit for 55 package and the EU Green Deal’s long-term objectives. We are willing to contribute, with expertise and in a constructive manner, to the adoption and implementation of meaningful legislation to achieve these objectives, duly considering the feasibility of the measures and a fair sharing of efforts across societal actors. We believe low-carbon and lightweight construction solutions such as gypsum-based systems are instrumental to achieving the green transition and to ensure no one is left behind, as they offer flexible and affordable solutions in new build and renovation. Please find enclosed our full paper on the FF55 package and key elements thereof.
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Response to Updating the EU Emissions Trading System

8 Nov 2021

The European Commission adopted on 14 July 2021 a major step towards reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. The “Fit for 55” Package aims to introduce the necessary policy and legislation for Europe to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of gypsum product manufacturers, welcomes this announcement and strongly believes that low-carbon and lightweight construction solutions, such as gypsum-based products, are instrumental to achieving the green transition. We welcome the revision of the EU Emission Trading System (ETS), and we consider that the increased ambition is essential for putting us on the necessary path, consistent with our climate goals. There are however a number of points that the gypsum industry would like clarified in the proposal, namely: - the rationale for the proposed new threshold for the “drying or calcination of gypsum or production of plaster boards and other gypsum products” at 20 t/day; - the exact timing of entry into force for the new threshold; and - whether national derogations and opt-outs under Art. 27 will continue to exist in the new regime. As an example, we anticipate that the envisaged changes to the ETS could result in a cost increase of at least € 1 to € 1.75 per tonne of processed gypsum for medium-sized gypsum factories. This, combined with rising energy costs, puts many of these factories in a difficult competitive situation. Most importantly, Eurogypsum would like to understand where and how the auction revenues deriving from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the wider revenues would be invested. Avoiding the threat of “investment” leakage away from sectors in transition is an exceptionally high priority, not only to ensure the money is well spent but also to guarantee that ambitious industries are rightly encouraged and enabled to invest in lowering their carbon footprint. Eurogypsum understands the logic of extending the EU ETS to the buildings sector, which accounts for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. However, further clarifications are needed as to how concretely energy efficiency measures can be supported by the scheme and how this move does not result in accentuating fuel poverty. Eurogypsum would like to repeat its general support to the Fit for 55 package and the EU Green Deal’s long-term objectives. We are willing to contribute, with expertise and in a constructive manner, to the adoption and implementation of meaningful legislation to achieve these objectives, duly considering the feasibility of the measures and a fair sharing of efforts across societal actors. We believe low-carbon and lightweight construction solutions such as gypsum-based systems are instrumental to achieving the green transition and to ensure no one is left behind, as they offer flexible and affordable solutions in new build and renovation. Please find enclosed our full paper on the FF55 package and key elements thereof.
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Response to Revision of EU legislation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals

1 Jun 2021

Eurogypsum, the association representing the interests of the European industry extracting and processing gypsum, welcomes the inception impact assessment on the revision of the EU legislation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH Regulation). We are delighted to provide our comments in the enclosed document and look forward to discussing concrete proposals in more detail when they will emerge. Yours sincerely, Tristan Suffys
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Response to Revision of EU legislation on hazard classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals

1 Jun 2021

Eurogypsum, the association representing the interests of the European industry extracting and processing gypsum, welcomes the inception impact assessment on the revision of the EU legislation on hazard classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP Regulation). We are delighted to provide our comments in the enclosed document and look forward to discussing concrete proposals in more detail when they will emerge. Yours sincerely, Tristan Suffys
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Response to Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU

22 Mar 2021

Eurogypsum, the European manufacturers association for plaster and plasterboard products, welcomes the priority given to the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) as a major pillar to deliver on the Renovation Wave strategy, and thanks the European Commission for consulting stakeholders on a roadmap for this initiative. Gypsum is a cost-efficient, low carbon, sustainable mineral that has been used for centuries to produce construction materials such as plaster, stucco or plaster-based products. These materials fulfil all requirements to create a sustainable, safe, resilient, comfortable and aesthetically modern living environment for all. Due to their properties and ability to redesign buildings’ interiors in the most flexible way, gypsum solutions are particularly well suited for renovation works. Furthermore, the lightweight gypsum-based construction materials allow forward-looking vertical extensions of buildings, thereby lowering the footprint of construction and developments. Building on our earlier comments developed in our position paper on the European Green Deal and our response to the previous consultation on the Renovation Wave, we would like to share four main considerations on the proposed roadmap on the EPBD revision: 1) A solid regulatory approach is needed to walk the talk and decarbonise the building stock; 2) The EPBD should leverage the renovation of specific building segments; 3) Deploying digital tools in support of building renovation should be a priority; and 4) The benefits of building renovation beyond energy efficiency should be properly accounted for. You will find further details on these considerations in the enclosed paper. We thank the European Commission for taking these comments into account and look forward to an effective EPBD in support of a meaningful Renovation Wave. Yours sincerely, Tristan Suffys Secretary General EUROGYPSUM
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Response to Commission Decision determining the benchmarks values for free allocation in the period 2021-2025

4 Jan 2021

Eurogypsum, the European manufacturers association for plaster and plasterboard products, welcomes the publication of the draft Benchmarking Regulation by the European Commission on 7th December 2020 – including the Annexes containing draft Product Benchmarks (BM) for the sectors concerned. Eurogypsum has conducted detailed analysis on the proposed benchmarks using PwC as a well-respected third party and expert in data analysis. The initial results of the analysis by PwC were very similar to the values derived by the Commission, but these were far lower than anticipated by the plaster and plasterboard sector and did not correspond to internal analysis. As a result, Eurogypsum members examined data from their own installations to see if any errors could be identified. This exercise highlighted two critical data errors, for which we provide detailed explanations in the enclosed file. Based on correct data, the plaster benchmark should decrease by 14.17% (instead of the 16.67% outlined in the draft regulation). In addition, the plasterboard benchmark should decrease by 16.03% (instead of the proposed 23.66%). We welcome the opportunity to work with the Commission to ensure that the correct data is used to derive the final benchmarks and we are ready to rapidly provide this data directly to the Commission, if this can facilitate the process.
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Response to Climate change mitigation and adaptation taxonomy

14 Dec 2020

The objectives of mitigating and adapting our societies to climate change are rightly at the core of the European institutions’ works on sustainable finance, given the EU’s and international commitment to counter global warming and its negative impact on our societies and ecosystems. Defining the right sectors of activity and the corresponding criteria to achieve such objectives is no easy task, as evidenced by the complexity of the decision-making procedure on this subject. Eurogypsum, the European manufacturers association for plaster and plasterboard products, supports the EU sustainable finance initiative as an appropriate instrument to encourage green funding and provide investors and other stakeholders with relevant information to channel investments into activities that enable the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and resource-efficient economy. Such evolution is also of particular relevance to our sector, with many member companies requiring investment in technologies and processes to further reduce their carbon footprint and support Europe’s move to carbon neutrality. The “Draft Delegated Act” setting technical screening criteria for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and its two annexes, represent a very good basis to implement the EU Taxonomy Regulation and provide the right approach to defining the relevant criteria. However, we believe that some adjustments would be needed to better account for constructional thermal insulating systems in energy efficient buildings. Please find enclosed some further details and suggestions for amendments. We thank the European Commission in advance for considering our comments when finalising this major act, so that the right signals are sent to ensure that our sector continues to play a major role in facilitating the transition to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.
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Eurogypsum advocates for flexibility in EU nature restoration targets

2 Dec 2020
Topic — An EU initiative proposing legally binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems and biodiversity.
Message — The federation requests that targets account for regional differences and include all degraded ecosystems, regardless of carbon storage levels. They also propose market-based mechanisms like restoration certificates and trading.123
Why — This approach would leverage their existing quarry management activities and provide financial incentives for restoration.45
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Response to Sustainable Products Initiative

16 Nov 2020

Eurogypsum, the association representing the interests of the European industry extracting and processing gypsum, welcomes the inception impact assessment on a sustainable product policy. Gypsum is a cost-efficient, low carbon, sustainable mineral that has been used for centuries to produce construction materials such as plaster, stucco or plaster-based products. Eurogypsum is convinced of the benefits of gypsum for sustainable and comfortable living and working spaces and promotes its contribution to Europe’s built environment. We are equally fully committed to improve our products and reduce their footprint. We believe that new drivers and policies supporting improvements at product level should be fully aligned with, and enhancing, improvements at building level. As a matter of fact, construction materials such as gypsum-based products are intermediary products intended to be used in a building, unlike end-use products. As for any other categories of performance, their sustainability performance should be assessed and compared against the function they fulfil in a building. You will find in the enclosed document our views on a number of policies which are essential to promote the sustainability of gypsum products and their use in buildings. Eurogypsum thanks the Commission and other EU institutions in advance for taking into account our remarks when preparing the Sustainable Product Policy initiative. We look forward to using our expertise and impact on Europe’s built environment with a view to contributing to positive changes towards more sustainable and circular practices.
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Response to Environmental claims based on environmental footprint methods

31 Aug 2020

Eurogypsum represents the interests of gypsum product manufacturers and believes in the benefits of gypsum for sustainable and comfortable living and working spaces and promotes its contribution to Europe’s built environment. We strongly support the objectives of the Green Deal and are committed to support actions enabling to deliver on sustainable buildings, such as the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). We believe that the CEAP should promote bolder recycling targets for specific, light-weight waste streams, undertake revamped efforts to secure the waste hierarchy and limit landfilling of valuable recyclable waste. It should further help to harmonise national waste and landfilling regulations, support the end-of-waste status for recycled gypsum, help accelerate deconstruction practices. But the CEAP should also support mainstreaming of life cycle thinking in the construction sector, and this is where the Roadmap on green claims matters to us. Eurogypsum thus welcomes the Roadmap’s thinking and shares the concerns underlying the proposals. Indeed, the proliferation of unsubstantiated green claims, or claims based on partial scopes or incomplete methodologies, is detrimental to the internal market and to the objectives of the CEAP in the construction sector. Please find enclosed our views on the proposed options and methodology, as regards implementing this initiative in the construction sector.
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Response to Chemicals strategy for sustainability

20 Jun 2020

Eurogypsum, the European manufacturers association for plaster and plasterboard products, welcomes the European Commission’s ambition to present a chemicals strategy for sustainability. The example of gypsum demonstrates the importance of having an appropriate approach to chemicals in order to promote sustainable and circular practices. Please find below our key expectations from a chemicals strategy for sustainability - and more details in the enclosed paper. 1. Move towards toxic free environment In health-related matters, we hope the strategy will: • Accelerate the implementation of Europe’s ambition to move towards a healthier and zero-pollution environment When reporting on product hazards, as in the case of poison centre notifications, account should however be taken of the nature of mineral products, the exact composition of which can vary depending on the extracted material. Pragmatic solutions should be sought, as long as the safety of all users is adequately guaranteed. • Support more transparency on products and substances A European approach for content disclosure would enable a level-playing field in the sector, given the increasing demand regarding product content declaration and associated hazard for the health and the environment. 2. Move towards circularity In this respect the strategy could help to make progress on the avoidance of dangerous substances in demolition waste used for recycling, to avoid any risks for product and building users while allowing for circular practices. This requires a clear, consistent, supportive and harmonised framework between chemical and waste legislation, and an engagement and action of all players in this important raw material stream, including the demolition sector. Meanwhile, further efforts will be needed to: • Achieve progress on the issue of the end-of-waste status for recycled gypsum, which practically hampers recycling efforts on the ground; • Support the acceleration and mainstreaming of deconstruction practices, instead of demolition, as well as other circular design practices (e.g. design for deconstruction, modularity, new business models facilitating the leasing of systems); and • Implement building passports and construction policies that encourage the future separation and reuse of construction materials, enabling better recycling of building materials to boost the circular economy. Eurogypsum thanks the Commission in advance for taking our contribution into account and looks forward to further exchanges on this major initiative for Europe.
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Response to Commission Communication – "Renovation wave" initiative for the building sector

8 Jun 2020

Eurogypsum, the European manufacturers association for plaster and plasterboard products, welcomes the priority given to the Renovation Wave both in the European Green Deal and the Recovery Plan. We share the Commission’s analysis about the relevance of renovation as an effective way to improve energy performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions of buildings, as well as to cut consumers’ energy bills. Renovation is at the core of the circular economy model, since it allows longer lifespans for existing buildings while aiming to approach the environmental footprint of newly constructed buildings. This increases the lifetime of structural elements in buildings, therefore reducing the need for material extraction and emissions in the construction phase. We agree that the current rates of building renovation in Europe are too low to achieve the European Green Deal’s objectives and must be increased. At least a doubling of current rates appears as a necessity. For this to happen we would like to share a few important considerations in the enclosed document. Eurogypsum thanks the Commission in advance for taking our contribution into account and looks forward to further exchanges on this major initiative for Europe.
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Response to EU rules on industrial emissions - revision

21 Apr 2020

Eurogypsum’s initial remarks on the review of the Industrial Emissions Directive: A balanced appraisal of benefits, costs and implications is required In light of the impact of today’s Covid-19 crisis on our members’ operations, availability and priorities, as well as the short consultation time available on the inception impact assessment, Eurogypsum is only able to make a few remarks at this stage on the plans for the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). We hope to contribute in more detail to a future public consultation, if sufficient time is given to properly consult our members. Generally, we support the Directive’s objectives of preventing or reducing emissions into air, water and soil, as well as preventing waste generation by industrial installations. While we also support – and are committed to – the EU’s circular economy policy, it is in our view important to avoid dual or multiple regulation on the same areas and the potential for excessive complexity or conflicting drivers. Therefore, Policy and Regulatory objectives outside of the IED’s remit should be addressed through other channels. It is important for instruments like the IED to set minimum standards and thresholds for the prevention of pollution, but it is also important to allow Industry sectors to find innovative solutions to the reduction of their environmental impacts, without being restricted or limited by excessive prescription in the identification of solutions. Concerning a possible extension to “current sectors just below the existing thresholds”, we would like to stress that, should this option be proposed, any likely dual regulation for emissions already covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and/or other regimes should be properly investigated and avoided. Regarding the envisaged extension of the directive’s scope, we believe any such proposal should be subject to a careful assessment of potential benefits vs. costs for each respective sector. Extractive industries are among the installations mentioned as possible additional sectors. While we understand the logic of reducing industrial emissions to contribute to Europe’s environmental and climate policy goals, our perception of the gypsum extractive sites, as well as for many other minerals or metals, cannot confirm the added value of using the Industrial Emissions Directive. In addition, the very nature of mineral extraction requires a tailor-made approach to each extractive site, which makes it difficult to compare between sites and to apply a generic BAT-based approach such as in the IED. Eurogypsum therefore calls for a balanced appraisal of the benefits, costs and implications of any widening of the scope of the current Directive as part of the review.
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Response to Climate Law

6 Feb 2020

Eurogypsum supports the European Commission’s plans for an ambitious Climate Law. The following elements would be needed to make this law deliver in the building sector: - A clear policy direction and legal certainty, including through long-term targets, regular reporting, scientific advice and public participation , and the clarification of the role for the building sector to decarbonise the economy. This will allow for industries such as plaster and plasterboard manufacturers to anticipate, innovate and deliver the products necessary to the renovation wave, ensure continuous training of a sufficient number of employees and adjust their production processes over time; - Recognition of the circularity potential in the construction sector and a further integration of circular thinking in the design of buildings, to facilitate the deployment of modern and circular construction techniques, encourage deconstruction and reduce the need for primary raw materials; - Support in the access to reliable and affordable quantities of low-carbon energy to reduce the energy and carbon footprint of industries contributing to the Green Deal’s objective of climate neutrality, in particular through incentives and support programmes for innovation; - Secured and streamlined access to sufficient volumes of sustainably managed primary raw materials, which contribute to our climate policy objectives, and in particular domestic sources; - Accompanying measures for the reskilling of workers affected by the phase-out of coal power generation and the production of respective by-products such as synthetic gypsum; - Regulatory clarifications and improvements to the functioning of secondary material sourcing, to increase the occurrence of closed loop models and improve customer and public acceptance of recycled materials; and - Measures addressing the international dimension of carbon pricing. Please find in annex further details on our comments and suggestions on the roadmap for a European Climate Law. We thank the Commission for taking these initial comments into account when planning a Climate Law and look forward to discussing this matter in more detail in the future.
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Response to Revision of the Drinking Water Directive (RECAST 2017)

27 Mar 2018

Eurogypsum fully supports the proposal of the European Commission on the quality of water intended for human consumption and in particular, Eurogypsum wishes to support the fact that “Part C of Annex I of Directive 98/83/EC used to concern Indicator Parameters have been deleted from Annex I (except for a few moved to Part A, such as turbidity), and moved to Annex IV, on information to consumers. Eurogypsum supports the commission statement “the rationale is that indicator parameters do not provide health-related information but rather information of interest to consumers (such as taste, colour, anions, cations, etc.)”. The parameter "sulfate"- gypsum is calcium sulphate with two molecules of water, does not cause any inherent toxicological effects (also confirmed by REACH dossiers, i.e., the substance "calcium sulfate"). Indeed, unpolluted water normally shows concentrations less than 50 mg/l sulphate. But, this concentration will be often exceeded in gypsum karst regions.The sulphate concentration in those regions normally can be detected in a range between 500 mg/l and 1400 mg/l. Those sulphate concentrations result from the dissolving of natural gypsum. The geological background sulphate does not show any toxic effects on environment. The dissolving of sulphate from gypsum deposits is a hydro-geological effect that cannot be stopped by any measures (See Common Implementation Strategy for the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). Guidance document n° 18- Guidance on Groundwater status and Trend Assessment-2009-case Study number 4- Demonstration of (high) background levels of sulphate in karstic aquifers – Eurogypsum). Indicator parameters have been used to set up threshold values in other correlated EU legislative acts, for example on groundwater directive (Annex II, part B, Minimum list of pollutants and their indicators for which Member States have to consider establishing threshold values in accordance with Article 3 , i.e; sulpfate as an ion) or waste disposal (l). We hope that this risk base approach will be taken over into other legislative revisions. The discharge of the karst area into a creek influences (surface water) following aquifers over long distances. The water itself has a high environmental and ecological quality status. The sulphate content has been never measured up to this study. The creek comes from a “Buntsandstein” area and shows only minor sulphate values (19 62 mg/l/ measuring period from 26.04.2002 to 20.03.2004) during a distance of some kilometres in a valley After a creek from karst gypsum area has gone into contact this situation significantly changes. The “sulphate free” creek suddenly changes into» sulphate-rich” water. The measurements at measuring point 44 vary from 91 mg/l to 472 mg/l sulphate . The significance of the karst region grows especially in high temperature summer-time when the original spring activity goes down to a low value. The dissolved sulphate is transported over several kilometres into a gypsum-free area and can be clearly detected after a distance of 10 km from the geological source. All sulphate concentrations measured are only caused by natural background situation without pollution effects. The influence of human activities can be excluded in all cases above. The variations in the sulphate concentrations can be explained by dilution of groundwater or surface water through seasonally rain infiltration. Please see in attachement a document on gypsum and water. EUROGYPSUM is a European federation of national associations of plaster and plasterboards products manufacturers. The Gypsum Industry covers the whole life-cycle of the product. Indeed, the companies which extract the mineral “gypsum” also process it and manufacture the value-added products and systems mainly used in construction and registered in Belgium as an AISBL (International Non-Profit Association).
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Response to Carbon Leakage List 2021 - 2030

13 Nov 2017

Dear All protection from Carbon Leakage is a very important element in EU ETS to combine economic growth with climate change policies. Qualitative assessment of carbon leakage risks should be fully kept open by the possibility to provide own substantiated, complete and verified data to the EC Services. Those data should be open to be used to determine the thresholds for qualitative assessment, as well as for characterisation of the sector inside the qualitative assessment as such. The reasons for this may include: - Reporting on sectors where CO2 direct costs cannot be fully described by EUTL; for example because main activity types may not be unique. - Reporting on sectors where CO2 indirect costs cannot be fully described, because of indirects costs coming from parts of the sector not included in EU ETS (an example is the 20 MW threshold in plaster and plasterboard production that does not prevent the fact that also plants outside ETS have to bear indirect costs). - The need to evaluate own substantiated ETS activity related GVA data, especially in integrated industries with a lot of side activities, where ETS activities are only part of business (for example included GVA from trade activities does not have effects on the economics of production to be covered by ETS). - The need to evaluate alternative GVA data sources when Eurostat / Prodcom descriptions are too broad to cover the ETS main activity types (for example when the number of reporting companies does not correlate to the number of companies participating in EU ETS). Being aware that this feedback, if followed, may improve the legislation a significant step towards fair competition among sectors inside the EU, as well as contributing against the danger of job leakage and relocation from EU, we hope that this feedback will be highly appreciated. Best regards Dr. Hans-Jörg Kersten Bundesverband der Gipsindustrie e.V. Kochstraße 6/7 10969 Berlin Germany
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Meeting with Daniel Calleja Crespo (Director-General Environment)

21 Sept 2016 · Circular Economy and Sustainable Mining