A study commissioned by Vecco and the ZVO from the Brussels-based consultancy company EPPA SA shows that the socio-economic consequences of the ‘non-use’ scenario – ‘closure of an electroplating plant’ – could be considerably higher than previously assumed by the SEAC. The study analysed the authorizations of 35 cluster companies and twelve individual authorizations.

Whilst SEAC based its calculations for the scenario under consideration on costs of €0.13 million per employee, the EPPA analysis arrives at a figure of €5.4 million per job in our example. This represents a multiple of 40 and deviation of 4,054 per cent.

A key reason for this is that lost corporate profits account for only a small part of the actual consequences. Added to this are decommissioning and disposal costs, the social consequences of job losses and, in particular, the impact on downstream supply chains – extending as far as production relocations and plant closures.

The results show that the socio-economic consequences of a Cr(VI) restriction must be reassessed and given due consideration in political decision-making.

Members can download the study from the members’ area.

If you are, as a committee member, decision-maker or interested person in the EU, also interested in the results of the study:

Please contact:

michaela.wagner@vecco.de

You can find the executive summary as a one-pager here:

The True Socio-Economic Costs of Cr(VI), Associations surface technology 2026