European Chemical Society

The European Chemical Society, commonly known as EuChemS, is a nonprofit umbrella organization for chemical societies and related scientific bodies in Europe. Based in Brussels, it promotes collaboration across national and disciplinary boundaries rather than selling chemical products or operating as a commercial enterprise. The organization succeeds the Federation of European Chemical Societies and Professional Institutions, established in 1970, and has taken on that federation’s coordinating and representative functions. EuChemS brings together approximately 50 member societies and supporting organizations, along with 19 scientific divisions and working parties. Through this network it represents more than 160,000 chemists in over 30 European countries. Its community spans analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, medicinal, industrial, environmental, materials, nuclear, and other areas of chemistry, as well as interdisciplinary fields connected to the molecular sciences. The European Young Chemists’ Network serves as its younger-members division. The society has two broad purposes. First, it creates opportunities for scientists from different countries to exchange knowledge, establish professional networks, cooperate on projects, and organize scientific meetings. Second, it uses the expertise of its members to contribute evidence-based views to European policymakers. EuChemS is an accredited stakeholder of both the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency, and it is listed in the European Union Transparency Register. Its policy interests include EU research framework programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, open science, STEM education, environmental protection, climate change, circular economy, renewable energy, food safety, health, chemical and nuclear safety, cultural heritage, ethics, scientific integrity, and public understanding of science. Events are a major part of the organization’s public role. EuChemS organizes policy workshops with European institutions, specialist conferences through its divisions and working parties, and the biennial EuChemS Chemistry Congress. The congress series began in 2006 and has been hosted in cities including Budapest, Turin, Nuremberg, Prague, Istanbul, Seville, Liverpool, and Lisbon. These meetings generally attract around 2,000 chemists from more than 50 countries. The society also supports early-career researchers through a congress fellowship scheme introduced in 2020. EuChemS operates an awards and recognition programme that includes the European Chemistry Gold Medal, the EuChemS Award for Service, the EuChemS Lecture Award, the European Young Chemists’ Award, the EuChemS EUCYS Award, divisional awards, and the Historical Landmarks Award. Its Gold Medal has recognized prominent European chemists including Bernard Feringa, Michele Parrinello, and Carol Robinson. The Historical Landmarks programme highlights places connected with the development, production, or social history of chemistry. The society also undertakes science-communication and public-awareness projects. During the 2019 International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, it published a periodic table emphasizing the uneven abundance and supply risks of chemical elements. The project linked chemistry education with recycling, resource efficiency, waste management, and the search for alternative materials. Overall, EuChemS functions as a representative, convening, advisory, educational, and communication platform for the European chemical-science community.

The European Chemical Society developed from the Federation of European Chemical Societies and Professional Institutions, founded in 1970. The federation was created to give national chemical societies in Europe a mechanism for cooperation, professional exchange, and coordination across borders. As chemistry became increasingly international and connected to environmental, health, industrial, energy, and materials questions, the need for a shared European platform expanded beyond the organization of scientific meetings. EuChemS assumed the federation’s role and responsibilities as the contemporary European Chemical Society. It established its base in Brussels, enabling closer engagement with European institutions and policy processes. Rather than functioning as a national learned society, EuChemS became a federation and network whose members are national chemical societies, specialist organizations, and supporting institutions. Its structure also includes scientific divisions and working parties, which coordinate activity in particular areas of chemistry and molecular science. A central historical function of EuChemS has been to connect the European chemistry community. Member societies use the organization to exchange information, develop collaborations, support international conferences, and strengthen the visibility of chemistry within Europe. The divisions and working parties provide more specialized networks and organize meetings that bring together researchers from related fields. The European Young Chemists’ Network adds a community for younger scientists and supports participation by early-career researchers. The society’s remit has also broadened toward science policy and public affairs. EuChemS contributes scientific perspectives to discussions involving European research funding, open science, education, food safety, chemical regulation, climate change, the circular economy, renewable energy, health, cultural heritage, and safety. It is an accredited stakeholder of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency, and it participates transparently in EU policy engagement through the European Union Transparency Register. This role reflects an effort to connect technical expertise with public decision-making without becoming a commercial lobby for a single chemical company or product category. The EuChemS Chemistry Congress became the organization’s principal recurring scientific event. The first congress was held in Budapest in 2006, followed by congresses in Turin in 2008, Nuremberg in 2010, Prague in 2012, Istanbul in 2014, Seville in 2016, Liverpool in 2018, and Lisbon in 2022. The congresses typically attract roughly 2,000 chemists from more than 50 countries and provide a broad forum for research presentations, networking, policy discussion, and interdisciplinary exchange. Awards and historical recognition have become another established part of EuChemS’s work. The European Chemistry Gold Medal recognizes exceptional achievements by chemists working in Europe. Recipients identified in the available record include Bernard Feringa in 2018, Michele Parrinello in 2020, and Carol Robinson in 2022. The Historical Landmarks Award recognizes places that illuminate the development and social history of chemistry, including the Ytterby mine in Sweden, Justus Liebig’s laboratory in Giessen, the Almadén mercury mines in Spain, and industrial or craft sites in Greece and Crete. In 2019, during the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, EuChemS used the periodic table as a public-education tool. Its presentation emphasized that elements differ greatly in abundance and supply security, linking basic chemical knowledge to recycling, resource efficiency, waste reduction, and the search for substitutes. In 2020, the society added a chemistry congress fellowship scheme to support students and early-career researchers. Leadership in the available record includes Angela Agostiano, who was elected President-Elect in August 2022 and began her presidential term in January 2023, Secretary General Nineta Hrastelj, and Vice-President Floris Rutjes. Today, EuChemS remains an active Brussels-based federation representing a large network of European chemists through scientific cooperation, policy advice, education, public communication, conferences, awards, and support for emerging researchers.

1. 2023Agostiano begins presidential term

   Angela Agostiano began her term as EuChemS President in January 2023.

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2. 2022Eighth EuChemS Chemistry Congress

   The eighth congress in the series took place in Lisbon, Portugal.

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3. 2022Angela Agostiano elected President-Elect

   The EuChemS General Assembly elected Angela Agostiano as President-Elect on 26 August 2022.

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4. 2022Carol Robinson receives European Chemistry Gold Medal

   Carol Robinson was listed as the 2022 recipient of the European Chemistry Gold Medal.

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5. 2020Congress fellowship scheme introduced

   EuChemS implemented fellowships to assist early-career researchers and students attending its chemistry congresses.

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6. 2020Michele Parrinello receives European Chemistry Gold Medal

   Michele Parrinello received the European Chemistry Gold Medal.

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7. 2019Periodic table resource campaign

   EuChemS published a periodic table highlighting elemental abundance, supply constraints, recycling, and material substitution during the International Year of the Periodic Table.

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8. 2018Bernard Feringa receives European Chemistry Gold Medal

   Nobel Laureate Bernard Feringa was named a recipient of the European Chemistry Gold Medal.

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9. 2006First EuChemS Chemistry Congress

   The first EuChemS Chemistry Congress was held in Budapest, launching the society’s recurring pan-European congress series.

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10. 1970Federation predecessor established

    The Federation of European Chemical Societies and Professional Institutions was founded, creating the institutional predecessor of EuChemS.

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A pan-European, nonprofit coordinating and representative body for chemical societies, positioned between the scientific community, European policymakers, professional networks, and the public.

• EuChemS Chemistry CongressScientific congress2006

  A biennial international congress covering broad areas of chemistry and molecular science. The event combines research presentations, interdisciplinary exchange, networking, and discussion of issues affecting the chemical sciences. Since the inaugural meeting in Budapest in 2006, it has been hosted in multiple European cities and has generally attracted approximately 2,000 chemists from more than 50 countries.

• EuChemS Chemistry Congress Fellowship SchemeResearcher support2020

  A fellowship programme introduced to help bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students and other early-career researchers participate actively in EuChemS Chemistry Congresses. The scheme is intended to reduce participation barriers and strengthen the next generation of European chemistry networks.

• European Chemistry Gold MedalScientific award

  EuChemS’s principal individual distinction for exceptional achievements in chemistry by scientists working in Europe. Recorded recipients include Bernard Feringa in 2018, Michele Parrinello in 2020, and Carol Robinson in 2022.

• EuChemS Historical Landmarks AwardHeritage award2018

  A recognition programme for sites that have played an important role in the history of chemistry in Europe. Honored locations have included mines, laboratories, museums, and industrial heritage sites associated with discoveries, production, or the cultural history of chemical practice.

• European Young Chemists’ NetworkProfessional network

  The younger-members division of EuChemS. It provides a network for early-career chemists and connects younger researchers with the society’s wider scientific, professional, and international community.

• 2019EuChemS Periodic Table Resource Campaign

  Europe · International science communication

  EuChemS produced a periodic table for the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. Instead of presenting the table only as a classification of elements, the project drew attention to resource availability, supply vulnerability, recycling needs, waste, and possible alternatives to scarce materials.

  Outcome. The initiative connected chemistry education with sustainability and resource-management issues and served as a public communication tool.

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• 2020Launch of the chemistry congress fellowship schemeStrategy

  Participation in large international scientific congresses can be difficult for students and early-career researchers because of travel and attendance costs.

  What changed. EuChemS implemented a fellowship scheme supporting bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students and other early-career researchers who actively attend its chemistry congresses.

  Aftermath. The scheme expanded the society’s early-career support role and complemented the European Young Chemists’ Network.

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• 2019Periodic table reframed around resource sustainabilityOther

  The International Year of the Periodic Table created an opportunity to communicate chemistry’s relevance to public and policy concerns.

  What changed. EuChemS published a periodic table emphasizing elemental abundance, supply risks, recycling, waste management, and substitution.

  Aftermath. The project positioned chemical literacy alongside sustainable resource use and broader societal challenges.

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• 2023Angela Agostiano begins term as EuChemS President

  Agostiano’s term as President began in January 2023 following her election as President-Elect in 2022.

  Leadership change
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• 2022Angela Agostiano elected EuChemS President-Elect

  The EuChemS General Assembly elected Angela Agostiano, a professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, as President-Elect on 26 August 2022.

  Leadership change
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• 2020EuChemS introduces chemistry congress fellowship scheme

  The society introduced fellowships intended to help bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students attend EuChemS Chemistry Congresses.

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• 2019EuChemS publishes resource-focused periodic table

  For the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, EuChemS issued a periodic table designed to draw attention to elemental abundance, supply risks, recycling, waste, and material substitution.

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1. European Chemical Society
2. European Chemical Society official website