The Aromatics Producers Association (APA)

Who we are

Aromatics get their name from their distinctive aromatic or perfumed smell. The main substances in this group, benzene, toluene and the xylenes, are basic chemicals used as starting materials for a wide range of consumer products (see Aromatics: Improving the Quality of Your Life available in 6 versions EN | DE | ES | FR | IT | NL). Almost all aromatics come from crude oil, although small quantities are made from coal. Everyday items made with the help of aromatics can be found in the home, workplace and supermarket. They include a diverse range of products such as clothing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, computers, paints, vehicle components, cooking utensils, household fabrics, carpets and sports equipment. Products made using aromatics can reduce energy consumption and so have a positive impact on the environment: lightweight plastic components in vehicles and aircraft, for example, and insulating foams in houses and offices are made with the help of aromatics.

The Aromatics Producers Association (APA) represents European producers of aromatics and is chaired by Dejan Karadjusleski, BASF.
The following companies belong to APA: Arsol Aromatics, BASF, Borealis Polymers, BP Aromatics & Acetyls Chemicals, BP Refining & Petrochemicals, Cepsa, ConocoPhiliips, Dow Europe, ExxonMobil Chemical Europe, Galp Energia, OMV, Polimeri Europa, Repsol YPF Quimica, Sabic Europe, Shell Chemicals, Total Petrochemicals, VFT-Rütgers Chemicals.

What we do

As a result of the European Commission's Auto Oil programme, the aim of which was to reduce road transport emissions to a level consistent with the EU air quality standards, gasoline and diesel fuels are subject to even more stringent specifications. In particular, the level of benzene is reduced from 5% to 1% since 1st January 2000. Other gasoline components, such as aromatics, olefins and sulphur, will be further reduced by 2005. In order to monitor the moves to lower aromatics content in gasoline in Europe and to assess the effects on aromatics producers, close co-operation is maintained with the oil industry through the European oil refining and marketing industry (EUROPIA) and the oil companies' European organisation for environment, health and safety (CONCAWE).

EU Risk Assessments of benzene, cumene, cyclohexane and toluene are now finished. Cumene and cyclohexane are reaching the end of the process while benzene is now in discussion at the EU level. Together with CONCAWE, APA has put together significant resources to provide relevant scientific data needed by the authorities to prepare these risk assessments. In the case of toluene, a Directive on the restrictions of the marketing and use is in preparation, as a consequence of the conclusions of the risk assessment stating that toluene may not be placed on the market or used as a substance or constituent of preparations in a concentration equal or higher than 0.1 % by mass in adhesives and spray paints intended for sale to the general public.

Aromatics health, safety and environment issues continue to develop as a response to emerging science and changing regulatory and stakeholders' interests. This creates the need to develop an appropriate science programme to enable suitable response from the association to external developments. Consequently, the APA Existing Chemicals Group (ECG) has proposed a scientific programme to its membership related to ongoing and foreseable EU regulatory initiatives.

Key priorities include:

Assess the impact of the fuel legislation on aromatics producers
Manage research projects within the science programme. This includes new ecotoxicity testing with xylenes, the available database not being in accordance with the present standards of good laboratory practice.
Update the HEDSET (Harmonised Electronic Data Set) for aromatics. The European Council Regulation (EEC) 793/93 requires producers and importers of chemical substances to submit to the European Commission data concerning a number of chemicals, if the production or import volume exceeds certain limits. This serves to evaluate and control the risks of existing substances. APA has a programme monitoring regularly all the published literature on benzene, toluene, xylenes and cyclohexane and communicates the results to the European Commission.
Preparation of the LOA (Lower Olefins and Aromatics) REACh Consortium. For more information please visit the LOA dedicated website.

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