FEICA CONNECT – Issue 64 August-October

August - October 2026

The past months have been marked by intensive activity across FEICA’s key priorities: bringing the global adhesives and sealants community together at WAC2026, supporting members through regulatory developments, and strengthening the industry’s voice in Europe.

From highlighting the role of adhesives and sealants in circularity to advocating for proportionate, harmonised regulation and engaging directly with policymakers and stakeholders, FEICA has continued to promote a competitive, innovative and sustainable future for the European adhesives and sealants industry.

WAC2026: Building Smart Bonds in an Age of Uncertainty

900 delegates. 40 countries. 70 exhibitors. One global industry.

At a time when businesses are navigating geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruption, accelerating technological change and growing sustainability expectations, the global adhesives and sealants industry came together in London for the World Adhesive & Sealant Conference & EXPO (WAC2026).

Bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, customers and association leaders from across the value chain, WAC2026 provided a unique platform to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions and explore how the industry can remain resilient and competitive in a rapidly changing world.

Across three days of plenary sessions, breakout discussions and networking events, delegates examined topics ranging from future-ready leadership and global economic shifts to innovation, circularity, strategic agility and the opportunities that emerge from uncertainty. A common theme ran throughout the programme: the industry can thrive through collaboration, and the strongest solutions are built through partnerships that span companies, sectors and regions.

The exhibition reinforced this message. Seventy exhibitors showcased cutting-edge technologies, materials and services, demonstrating the depth of innovation across the adhesives and sealants value chain. WAC2026 was made possible through the support of a broad community of sponsors, reflecting the collaborative spirit that defines the industry. Among them were leading global companies including gold sponsors Bostik, Henkel and H.B. Fuller, alongside many other organisations: BASF, Cargill, ChemQuest, DOW, Kaneka, Pujadas, Nitto, Sika, Synthomer, ASI - Adhesives & Sealant, Argus, Adhäsion KLEBEN+DICHTEN, CHEManager, FAPU, ISGATEC, Pitture e Vernici, Smithers and SpecialChem. Their support helped create an exceptional platform for knowledge-sharing, networking and business development.

More than a conference, WAC2026 highlighted the importance of maintaining strong international connections. With participants from 40 countries, the event created opportunities to develop new partnerships, strengthen existing relationships and exchange perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our industry.

While WAC2026 has concluded, the conversations it sparked are far from over. The global adhesives and sealants community will meet again for the next World Adhesive & Sealant Conference & EXPO in Taiwan in 2030.

The dialogue will continue much sooner, however, at the FEICA 2027 European Adhesive & Sealant Conference and EXPO, taking place from 15–17 September 2027 at the Porto Antico Conference Centre in Genova, Italy. The event will bring together industry leaders, innovators and value-chain partners to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the European market and the role adhesives and sealants will play in shaping a competitive and sustainable future for the European Union.

Post-event resources

A public gallery of photographs from WAC2026 is available here.

Conference presentations, session materials and additional post-event resources are available exclusively to the delegate community here. Access is password protected. Delegates can find the password in the post-event follow-up email sent after the conference or request it directly from the conference organisers.

Strategic Initiative: Smart Bonds - Circularity Starts Before Recycling

In reinforcing the value of our industry, celebrated on International Adhesive & Sealant Day on 29 September, FEICA continues through its Smart Bonds initiative to raise awareness of adhesive applications and their contribution to the circular economy.

Circularity goes far beyond recycling. Adhesives and sealants can contribute throughout the product life cycle: Redesign → Reduce → Reuse → Repair → Recycle, from enabling lighter designs and reducing material use to extending product lifespans and supporting material recovery.

The latest SmartBonds magazine excerpt focuses on repair and debonding-on-demand, exploring how strong adhesive bonds can also enable components to be separated when repair is needed.

Regulatory & Public Affairs

How much does excessive regulation really cost European industry? In a recent LinkedIn article, Kristel Ons, FEICA Secretary General, turns the spotlight on the relationship between regulation, innovation and European competitiveness, an increasingly important debate for an industry operating at the heart of multiple European value chains. Her broader message is clear: Europe needs a regulatory framework that allows companies to continue investing and innovating without disproportionate administrative and compliance burdens.
This message is also reflected in a recent joint statement supported by FEICA, A competitive chemicals industry needs a competitive value chain. The statement calls for the impacts of new policy measures to be assessed across the entire value chain, warning that poorly designed requirements could increase costs and administrative burdens for downstream and mid-stream industries and ultimately undermine European competitiveness.

This need for coherence is also reflected in FEICA’s support for the new Digital Consumer Information Alliance (DCIA) manifesto, which advocates for a consistent EU approach to digital product information. As Digital Product Passports take shape, FEICA is calling for harmonisation, interoperability and proportionate implementation that avoids further fragmentation of the Single Market.

The same challenge is particularly visible in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. In a new position paper, FEICA highlights how differing national registration and reporting systems, data requirements, labelling obligations and regulatory overlaps are increasing complexity and compliance costs for companies operating across several Member States. FEICA calls for greater EU harmonisation, including simplified reporting for industrial packaging and an EU Digital One-Stop Shop for EPR, reducing duplication and allowing resources to remain focused on innovation and sustainability.

A further FEICA position paper addresses the development of horizontal repairability requirements under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). FEICA stresses that adhesives and sealants should not be viewed as barriers to repair: they contribute to product durability while also enabling damaged components to be repaired and product lifetimes extended. FEICA therefore advocates for a technology-neutral approach that recognises adhesive repair solutions, reflects practical spare-part needs and allows the tools and methods necessary for the safe and effective repair of adhesive-bonded products.

Representing the Industry Across Europe

FEICA continued to represent the adhesives and sealants industry in exchanges with European institutions, policymakers and industry stakeholders, contributing the sector’s perspective to discussions on competitiveness, circularity and regulatory initiatives currently taking shape.

On Biotech Act II, Stavroula Genikalioti, Public & Regulatory Affairs Manager – Chemical Legislation, participated in Building the bioeconomy: Setting targets to stay on target on 8 September, bringing together policymakers, industry and stakeholders to discuss how Europe can translate its bioeconomy ambitions into industrial reality. FEICA’s engagement continued through an exchange with DG GROW and, most recently, at the Stakeholder Workshop on Biotech Act II on 12 October.

FEICA was also active in discussions around the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). Stavroula Genikalioti participated in the Stakeholder Roundtable on the Industrial Accelerator Act on 10 September, with MEPs Nikola Minchev and Svenja Hahn. This formed part of wider FEICA engagement on the IAA, including exchanges with industry associations, the French Industry Ministry and representatives in the European Parliament. FEICA’s advocacy work on the IAA will continue with the participation of Benjamin Nummert, Chair of FEICA WG SIP, at Chemicals Watch’s Key Regulatory Updates Europe 2026 on 19–20 October. He will deliver a presentation addressing the question, “How well is the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) working to support competitiveness based on sustainability in practice?” The session will also include policymakers from the European Commission and Parliament.

Within the Critical Chemicals Alliance (CCA), FEICA Secretary General Kristel Ons participated in the Alliance’s Steering Board on 9 September, alongside representatives of the European Commission, Member States, industry associations and social partners. This engagement continued at the second General Assembly on 8 October, which marked the conclusion of the significant work carried out by the Alliance over the previous months. FEICA's comments on the Critical Chemicals Alliance WG4 report are now included in the Annex of the Alliance's draft report.

FEICA joined the Alliance in January 2026, bringing the perspective of the adhesives and sealants industry as a mid-stream sector connecting suppliers with a wide range of downstream users. Looking ahead, FEICA continues to stress the importance of considering the impact of policy measures across entire value chains while supporting industrial innovation and competitiveness.

On 29 September, Jana Cohrs, Director Public and Regulatory Affairs, attended the High-Level Conference on Critical Raw Materials at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Mohammed Chahim and co-organised with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. The programme brought together representatives from EU institutions, academia and industry, including participants working across raw materials, circular economy and industrial transformation. Jana also attended an event at the European Policy Centre with Mirzha de Manuel from the cabinet of European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity — Implementation and Simplification, Valdis Dombrovskis. The discussion focused on better regulation and competitiveness of the industry.

FEICA’s engagement also covered circularity, packaging and product policy. Maria Pulina, Public & Regulatory Affairs Manager – Sustainability, participated in exchanges spanning PPWR, ESPR, food-contact materials, EPR and the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation. At the FCA General Assembly on 30 September, she represented FEICA on food-contact materials.

Resources & Events

Explore the key publications, position papers and other resources referenced throughout this issue of CONNECT, alongside upcoming events relevant to the adhesives and sealants industry.

Position papers and advocacy

• FEICA position on EPR challenges for the adhesives and sealants industry
• FEICA position on spare parts, repair methods and repair actors under ESPR horizontal repairability requirements
• Digital Consumer Information Alliance (DCIA) manifesto
• LinkedIn article: Kristel Ons on innovation, regulation and European competitiveness
• FEICA's comments on the Critical Chemicals Alliance WG4 report (p. 103)
• A competitive chemicals industry needs a competitive value chain (EuroCommerce)

Circularity and Smart Bonds

• Smart Bonds: Circularity – Repair

WAC2026 resources

• WAC2026 photo gallery
• WAC2026 conference proceedings (available exclusively to delegates via the password-protected post-event resource area).

Upcoming event

• Plastics & Paper for Food Contact Packaging, Vienna, 8–10 December 2026.

Additional technical, regulatory and advocacy materials can also be found in the Resources section of feica.eu.