Dear readers,

Welcome and thank you for subscribing to the Microbial Control Executive Council’s bi-annual newsletter. As you may remember from our last update in April, the MCEC has continued in its proactive outreach and communications efforts by attending a number of events over the past few months, with many more activities planned for the near future.

Since our last update, the MCEC has attended events such as the European Coatings Technology Forum in Berlin, where I presented to a number of small focus groups about the MCEC’s aim to promote the benefits of microbial control technologies, and fielded questions about the organisation and our goals for the future. I am happy to say that this was an interesting and innovative way to discuss the organisation’s aims with industry players. In addition to this, MCEC members, BASF and Lonza, attended the Association of Water Technologies (AWT) in Orlando, Florida to discuss industrial water treatment and the role antimicrobials play. Both events offered the MCEC great opportunities to profile itself among our relevant stakeholders.

Additionally, the MCEC has been active in promoting the benefits of microbial control technologies among trade media outlets. The organisation received important media coverage over the past months, with Coatings World, Coatings Xperience, and the European Coatings Journal publishing articles on the MCEC’s activities.

All new content on the MCEC will be posted on our LinkedIn page and website. If you do not already follow us on LinkedIn, please do so to stay up to date on all our exciting activities!

Yours sincerely,

Michael Schäfer, MCEC Chairman

MCEC is a sector-group of Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council (EU Transparency Register: 64879142323-90)

MCEC LATEST UPDATES

We are fast approaching the end of 2018 and will soon enter into a new era of EU politics in 2019 – a year of change. The European Parliament, Commission and Council are all set to see new faces and a new political agenda in 2019. The European Parliamentary elections will take place between on 23-26 May and are expected to see a further shift away from main stream, centre-ground politics. Despite the changing dynamics of the Parliament in 2019, the mainstream European political parties will select their candidate for the Commission presidency and decide on their manifestos. This will be a pivotal moment for the future of the EU’s chemicals policy.

We can expect to see a number of new initiatives aimed at challenging the use of potentially hazardous chemicals and also the implementation of the long awaited non-toxic environment strategy. Additionally, the precautionary principle still plays an important role in assessing emerging risks with regard to the environment and human health. With this in mind, it is increasingly important that the MCEC continues its efforts to inform industry players and policymakers of the benefits associated with microbial control technologies and the sustainable use of biocides.

The MCEC places particular emphasis on the importance of authorities’ conclusions being strongly based on sound science. However, recently a trend has emerged that has impacted the way in which chemicals are regulated in general. A principle of precaution has been driving activities and decisions made by European policymakers, and a hazard-based approach has become commonplace in Europe to the detriment of realistic risk-based approach. It is the role of MCEC to provide accurate and helpful information to policymakers, and the scientific community to ensure the benefits and safe use of biocides are highlighted and understood. MCEC provides comprehensive and convenient information on how microbial-control helps us to create a healthier and safer environment, and details how microbial control improves our world through a wide range of industries and sectors e.g. disease and infection control, marine shipping, paints & coatings, wastewater management or oil and gas recovery.

With a new political agenda on the horizon, the MCEC will continue to provide a united front in its approach to promoting the benefits of microbial control technologies and the importance of a science based approach to regulatory issues.

MICROBIAL CONTROL SCIENCE – A FEW RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

1. Biostable, antidegradative and antimicrobial restorative systems based on host-biomaterials and microbial interactions – Journal of Dental Materials, 2018
2. Antimicrobial Films and Coatings Incorporated with Food Preservatives of Microbial Origin – Polymers for Food Applications, 2018
3. Study and characterisation growth of four microalgae species and test antimicrobial activity– Vol. 6, No. 2 2018: Jurnal Zarah

CONTACT

To learn more, visit our website and our LinkedIn page.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact us at info@microbial-control.com