When you want to drain a swamp...

The concerns, difficulties and hardships of the companies affected have never been of serious interest - at least that is how it appears from the outside. Now, after many years and unbelievable efforts by the companies to authorize the use of chromium(VI), those responsible have finally come to the conclusion that a restriction is perhaps the better alternative. This is undoubtedly factually correct, but seems quite cynical in view of the destabilization of an entire industry.

The way in which the authorization of chromium(VI) was carried out has blocked the path to the future for more than a few companies in the electroplating industry, or at least paved it with obstacles that are almost impossible to overcome. The shambles has long since been made. It says a lot about how the work of ECHA and the EU Commission is perceived when companies are now happy about a successful authorization as if they had won a prize. You can read an example in the mo 7-8 interview on page 39.

Cynical slogans against payment

Investment and future security used to be the basis for a flourishing economy in Europe. But well-functioning businesses no longer seem to be important to Brussels and some governments. Insiders quote a remarkable statement: "When you want to drain a swamp, you can't ask the frogs." So the industry is a swamp? You have to think this through to the end. Unfortunately, many aspects of the actions of the EU and our government fit this maxim.

It also requires a great deal of control when it becomes clear once again how uncoordinated and lacking in strategy the energy transition is proceeding. A full ten years after the official start, those in charge recognize that pumped storage power plants are a valuable resource - especially when they are not rotting away and decommissioned. The fact that modernization and expansion is now coming far too late in view of the increasing instability of the electricity grids - well, yes. Industry, and above all SMEs, are putting up with what is happening. The frogs send their regards.

Time for a dissenting voice

Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are frequently and intensively ignored by politicians. Yet they are a supporting structure of German prosperity. SMEs must therefore stand together more than ever, and not just in the surface sector, and finally find a unified and insistent voice. Otherwise, things will not look very good for many companies and therefore also for Germany and Europe in the long term. The current surprisingly severe slump in exports can certainly be seen as a sign of this. And when swamps dry up, frogs migrate. This is also the case in nature, which our government supposedly loves so much.

As we can probably wait longer for miracles, competitiveness must be our top priority, despite everything and even more so. That is why we have also compiled many relevant topics in this issue, from calculating the impact of paint shops on the climate (page 14 in issue 6-7) to coordinated retrofit measures instead of melting down conveyor technology (from page 34 in mo 6-7) to a new measuring method for the wood and furniture industry to determine coating thicknesses reliably and without contact (from page 24).

Let yourself be inspired and not discouraged by the circumstances!