About

ECMA

The European Candle Manufacturers Association, ECMA, was founded on 1 January 2021, after the former AECM (Association of European Candle Manufacturers) ‎and ECA (European Candle Association) decided to form a new joint association representing the entire European candle industry.

ECMA is an International Non-Profit Association, governed by the Belgian Companies and ‎Associations Code. Its registered office is located at 188A Avenue de Tervueren (postbox 4), ‎‎1150 Brussels. ‎

The ECMA members are companies producing candles in Europe, ‎associations representing the candle industry’s interest at regional level in Europe, as well as ‎entities that supply goods and services to the candle industry.‎

Vision & Mission

ECMA represents candle makers, their national associations and suppliers to the industry. As ‎the European candle industry´s collective voice, ECMA ensures a continuous exchange of ‎information with authorities, non-governmental organizations, the media and other relevant ‎stakeholders and guarantees that its members´ interests are heard and understood.‎

ECMA promotes the safe use of candles, increases the knowledge and safety of candles and ‎takes an active role in developing the regulatory and standardisation environment. ECMA ‎advocates the interests of the industry, represents its membership towards relevant ‎stakeholders and policy makers, assists with legal compliance and customer specific ‎requirements, promotes fair competition and is committed to increase the sustainability ‎aspect of the industry.

Objectives

The association has the following major objectives‎:

- Informing about and participating in developing the regulatory environment

- Promoting standardisation, the safe use and enjoyment of candles and selected accessories used with candles

- Providing legal assistance and other advice to help its members to comply with all legal, normative and customer-specific requirements

- Promoting fair competition and the economic and commercial interests and competitiveness of all members

- Representation at public relations events related to the candle industry

- Conducting and commissioning research to increase knowledge and develop the state-of-the-art further

- Providing members with relevant information on developments relating to Europe’s candle industry, including technical and economical information and regulations, in accordance with national and European competition law

- Responding to unsubstantiated allegations related to the candle industry

- Communicating and cooperating with all stakeholders of the candle market

- Producing reports, statistics, studies, brochures and other relevant information on the candle industry

- Organising conferences, seminars and other events on the candle industry

- Providing a platform for networking between the members

Executive Board

Fiona Hamilton-Fox

President
Contract Candles & Diffusers Ltd.

Viktor Garmiani

Vice-President
Candles Scandinavia AB

Francis Clément Devineau

Treasurer
Devineau SAS

Pierre Corgnet

Histoire de Bougies SAS

Vincent Kristen

Bolsius International BV

Thomas Schröder

Gala Group GmbH

Ben Spaas

Spaas Kaarsen NV

Committees & Working Groups

At this point in time, ECMA has implemented the following Committees and Working Groups:

Technical Committee

The Technical Committee is the forum to discuss any relevant questions that members have regarding relevant legislation, standardisation or technical issues. It provides the analysis of legislative proposals that are of concern to the candle industry and develops positions and guidance documents.

Working Group on the European Quality Mark for Candles

The Working Group works on the scope, concept, setup and implementation of a quality mark for candles which is supposed to focus on consumer expectations and should be respected in all or at least most European countries. This could be an entirely new quality mark or the improvement of an existing quality mark so that it meets the defined scope and concept.