Alexis Van Maercke

Secretary-General at Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL)

ABSTRACT: 21st Century Steel for Packaging

In 2019 the European Commission announced the European Green Deal, incorporating initiatives such as the European Climate Law, Circular Economy Action Plan, the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, and the Farm to Fork Strategy, amongst others.

This represents huge regulatory challenges and opportunities for the European Steel for Packaging sector. Materials must be able to demonstrate true circularity, giving steel – a circular material by its very nature – a key role to play in helping Europe transition from a linear to a more circular economy.

In order to address these challenges head-on and deliver a material fit for the 21st century, APEAL and its members have been actively moving forward in a range of topics related to sustainable production; from the promotion of recycling; to the aspiration of zero steel for packaging to landfill; as well as the cooperative development of a chromium free passivation alternative (CFPA) for electrolytic tinplate.

Biography:

Alexis Van Maercke is secretary general of APEAL, The Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging.

Before joining APEAL, Alexis was policy officer at the European Commission, Directorate General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Prior to this he spent five years in the European Parliament as a political advisory to Marianne Thyssen, former Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, in charge of legislative files related to food safety, environment and consumer protection.

He holds a Master's degree in Law from the University of Leuven in Belgium as well as a Master's in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe in Warsaw, Poland.