Welcome to the last newsletter of 2024. Where has this year gone? It has been a busy year for the ESA. Obviously, PFAS was front and centre for most of the time, and while this topic remains active, it has moved more to the background as legislators try to process the extensive industry feedback and determine their next steps.
However, one successful outcome has been the recognition of sealing products within the debate and the possible implications that a PFAS ban (as currently drafted) will have on users of our products. This will be a long journey, which I am sure will occupy us again throughout 2025.
The ESA had a successful and well organised AGM this year in Prague (thank you, Mark), a great city that I am sure many of you enjoyed visiting while attending this important annual event. At that time, two of our stalwart Excom members had to step down due to length of service, and I would like to thank both Ozan Devlen from Kastaş and Mark Horton from Flexitallic for their service to the ESA and the great work they have done. While losing two members was significant, this also meant that we gained two new Excom members: Frank Weber from Teadit and Rainer Zeuss from SGL carbon – two new faces with new ideas that I hope will add to the dynamism and execution of the Excom. Welcome and thank you for your willingness to participate.
Finally, I would like to thank you all for your support and activity this year. As the year draws to a close, we are also approaching a time of celebration and reflection for many people. No matter how you choose to celebrate these next few weeks, I wish you and your families an enjoyable time.
John Morton
Chairman of the ESA