The Commission has presented an action plan for the chemicals industry to strengthen the competitiveness and modernization of this sector.

The action plan addresses key challenges – high energy costs, unfair global competition, and weak demand, while promoting investment in innovation and sustainability. It proposes the following measures

• Resilience and level playing field: establishing a Critical Chemical Alliance to address the risks of capacity closures in the sector and applying trade defence measures to ensure fair competition
• Affordable energy and decarbonisation: swiftly implementing the Affordable Energy Action Plan to help reduce high energy and feedstock costs
• Lead markets and innovation: highlighting fiscal incentives and tax measures to boost demand for clean chemicals
• Taking action on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): minimizing PFAS emissions through a robust, science-based restriction, while ensuring continued use in critical applications under strict conditions where no alternatives are available

The plan is accompanied by a simplification package, the so-called 6th Omnibus, to further streamline and simplify key EU chemicals legislation. This includes simplifying hazardous chemical labelling rules, clarifying EU cosmetics regulations, and easing registration for EU fertilising products. These measures should save at least €363 million annually for the industry. 

The EU chemical industry is the 4th largest manufacturing sector, with 29 000 companies providing 1.2 million direct jobs and supporting 19 million across supply chains. The European chemicals industry action plan builds on the Competitiveness Compass and Clean Industrial Deal, while the simplification package delivers on President von der Leyen's commitment to simplify EU laws and cut administrative burdens, helping businesses innovate and grow.

For more information

Press release: Chemicals package

Q&A: Chemicals package

Factsheet: Chemicals package

Action plan Chemicals

Proposal for an Omnibus for the Chemicals Industry

Competitiveness

In 2025, the EU produced 3.44 billion litres of ice cream, representing a 1.9% increase compared with 2024 (3.38 billion litres).

Germany remained the top producer of ice cream in the EU, with 608 million litres in 2025. Italy (549 million litres) and France (525 million litres) followed at the top. The list of main producers also included Spain (457 million litres) and Belgium (274 million litres). 

Compared with 2024, all of these 5 EU countries registered an increase in production; +10% for Italy, +6% for Belgium, +4% for France, +2% for Spain and +0.2% for Germany.

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Source dataset: DS-059367

France: top exporter of ice cream in the EU 

In 2025, EU countries exported 289.8 million kg of ice cream to non-EU countries and imported 77.8 million kg. Exports increased by 10% compared with 2024 (+26 million kg), while imports rose by 12% (+8.5 million kg).

As in previous years, France was the largest ice cream exporter in the EU, exporting 59.1 million kg of ice cream to non-EU countries in 2025. This represented a fifth of the total extra-EU ice cream exports (20%). France was followed by Italy (55.2 million kg of ice cream; 19% of EU ice cream exports), Belgium (34.5 million kg; 12%), Germany (29.9 million kg; 10%), and the Netherlands (26.5 million kg; 9%).

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Source dataset: DS-045409

For more information

• Thematic section on prodcom – statistics by product
• Database on prodcom – statistics by product
• Thematic section on international trade in goods
• Database on international trade in goods

Methodological notes 

• Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta: exempt from providing data on production due to their economic sizes.
• Production ranking is based on available and non-confidential data. Sold production quantities are confidential for Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden.
• In this news article, production of ice cream is expressed in litres, while imports and exports are expressed in kg.