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New global alliance to advance science-based regulation of antioxidants and light stabilizers
The Global Antioxidants and Light Stabilizers Alliance (GALA) has been established to provide a unified industry voice on regulatory matters affecting antioxidants and light stabilizers used in plastics, coatings, adhesives, rubber and other polymer applications.
A new global industry organisation, the Global Antioxidants and Light Stabilizers Alliance (GALA), has been founded to strengthen advocacy and support the safe and sustainable use of antioxidants (AOs) and light stabilizers (LS). Representing producers and stakeholders in these additive categories, GALA aims to provide a unified, science-based voice to inform policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders in their decision-making on these substances.
GALA builds on the foundation established by the former European ELiSANA initiative, but with a significantly expanded geographic reach and membership base. Whereas ELiSANA operated primarily with European members, GALA now brings together a growing network of 20 companies from around the world, reflecting the increasing need for coordinated industry engagement as chemical regulatory frameworks continue to evolve across regions.
Leadership and structure of the new regulatory alliance
The alliance is led by a steering committee of industry professionals: Thomas Schmutz of Songwon serves as Chair, Mira Cancara of BASF as Vice-Chair, and Dieter Drohmann of Consortia Management, a subsidiary of the Chemservice Group, as Secretary. Together, they bring expertise in regulatory advocacy, product stewardship, and international industry collaboration.
GALA will support collaboration among its member companies, strengthen science-based regulatory engagement, and help ensure that decisions affecting AOs and LS are grounded in robust technical information. The alliance will also work to expand its capacity to support advocacy activities on a global scale.
Task forces to address key additive families in coatings and polymer applications
As a first step, GALA will establish three task forces covering strategically important additive families used in plastics, coatings, adhesives, rubber, and other polymer applications. These task forces are intended to provide a coordinated platform for organising data, engaging stakeholders, and supporting proportionate, science-based regulatory decisions. Additional groups are planned to follow based on evolving regulatory priorities.