Preserve our natural heritage
Essential oils are natural products that are rooted in our everyday lives – in the herbal tea we drink, in the perfume we wear, in the shower products and cosmetics we use, to name just a few! Their use dates back thousands of years, all the way to ancient civilisation.
Protect our natural future
But the future of essential oils is now uncertain as they risk being restricted in upcoming EU regulations. Join our campaign to keep the production and use of essential oils in Europe. Help us protect the future of our ancient history!
Campaign Video
Catherine Crowley on the future of essential oils
Who we are
IFEAT, or the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades, is a trade association that has been representing the interests of companies and many small farmers involved in the production, processing, trading, and manufacturing of essential oils since 1977.
Why protect
essential oils?
Globally, essential oils are produced in more than 68 countries and in predominantly rural areas.
Especially in Europe, essential oils have rich historical and local roots. The industry that produces them is the essence of many rural communities and the lifeblood for family-owned businesses in every corner of the continent.
In Spain, France, Bulgaria, and Italy alone more than 40,000 workers and their families depend on the production of essential oils.We cannot afford to lose essential oil production in Europe.
It's not just a matter of economics, but about the future of people and communities and of preserving cultural heritage and traditions that have been passed down for centuries.
The story so far
In 2022, a revision of the EU’s Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation was put forward by the European Commission.
This proposed revision risked placing new burdens on essential oil producers, especially small and family-run businesses, and could put the entire European essential oils industry at risk.
Thanks to the constructive dialogue between our industry and EU legislators, we succeeded in being granted a derogation for essential oils and related products.
We are strong believers in protecting human health and the environment against potentially harmful substances. But when it comes to essential oils – natural substances at heart – our message is clear.
We cannot remove nature from our future.
This agreement brings much needed business certainty to the sector, ensuring the continued safe use of essential oils and related products, as there has been for centuries.
At the IFEAT 2023 Conference in Berlin MEP Maria Spyraki's gave her thoughts on the future of the essential oils industry in Europe as a crucial component of the European economy.
But our efforts do not end here…
With the upcoming revisions of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation, the Cosmetic Product Regulation (CPR) and the Essential Use Concept, the future of essential oils continues to be a risk.
We want to ensure the protection of essential oil producers from being unfairly restricted by well-meaning objectives of EU chemical regulations.
That's why we are continuing to advocate for the safe use and production of essential oils to protect an industry that is of historical, cultural and socio-economic value for many communities across the world.
We continue to work towards a bright, secure and healthy future for essential oils.
Share your support
What can you do?
We need your support to protect future of essential oils in Europe. Join this campaign to show your support and help to make the voice of the essential oil producers heard.