Anke Oberflächentechnik Hosts a Visit from a Member of Parliament: Chromium(VI) and PFAS
Sebastian Fiedler, a member of the Bundestag and the SPD parliamentary group’s spokesperson on domestic policy, visited the company Anke Oberflächentechnik in Essen together with the ZVO. The exchange was hosted by ZVO board member Tobias Wesselow.
The discussion between Member of the Bundestag Fiedler, Anke Oberflächentechnik, Tobias Wesselow, and Lukas Hanstein, Head of Policy at the ZVO, was the announced reduction of the chromium(VI) limit value to 0.1 µg/m³, as well as the potential impact of a blanket PFAS ban on industrial processes and European value chains. Tobias Wesselow explained the significant technical and economic challenges associated with current regulatory developments. Small and medium-sized enterprises in the surface technology sector, in particular, are facing increasing pressure, even though their products and processes are an indispensable part of numerous key industrial technologies. The strategic importance of surface technology for the military and defense capabilities of Germany and Europe was the subject of particularly intense discussion. Sebastian Fiedler expressed surprise, but at the same time admiration, at the wide range of defense-related applications of modern surface technology.
Discussion on Lowering the Chromium(VI) Limit and PFAS
As the discussion made clear: No Leopard II without hard chrome plating. No modern drone systems without highly specialized coated chips. No resilient European industry without high-performance surface and coating technologies. During an extensive tour of the facility, Fiedler gained practical insights into the individual process steps of hard chrome plating and was able to form his own impression of the industry’s high technical, occupational safety, and environmental standards. In the ensuing discussion, Wesselow, Hanstein, and Fiedler engaged in an in-depth exchange on current regulatory developments at the German and European levels, as well as on potential solutions that take into account both environmental and health protection and industrial competitiveness and technological sovereignty. The visit once again underscored the great importance of direct dialogue between policymakers and industry practitioners. Especially when it comes to complex regulatory initiatives, it is essential that companies’ experience and technical expertise be incorporated into political decision-making processes at an early stage.
Contact details and information on the companies and institutions presented here can be found in our interactive surface technology industry directory.