EU Competitive Council chief backs Cefic's Change project

04 October 2004 16:15  [Source: ICIS news]

NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, Netherlands (CNI)--European Union (EU) Competitiveness Council chairman and Netherlands economic minister Jan Brinkhorst lent his support here Monday to the European Chemical Industry Strategy Group or Change project sponsored by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic).

 “Such a group may fulfil a key role in striking a balance between political, economic and environmental interests,” Brinkhorst said.at the Cefic general Assembly.

Cefic is working with the new European Commission (EC) and wants to involve the European Parliament and the Competitiveness Council in the project. Cefic believes that developing dialogue at the sector level is vitally important for greater understanding of both industry driven and EU economic and business strategies.

The project is not running to a timetable but two meetings with the Commission are planned this year, said new Cefic president Peter Elverding. In his inaugural address as Cefic president, Elverding said that such co-operation is indispensable if the industry is to help take the EU’s Lisbon competitiveness objectives “beyond cynicism and wishful thinking”.

Brinkhorst said the Dutch presidency of the EU would set the tone for continued focus on the Lisbon agenda.

An EU late October workshop will look into how the costs of implementing the planned Reach (registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals) policy will affect small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

By: Nigel Davis
+44 20 8652 3214

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