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[May 2007]
European Ceramic & Glass Industries Urge EU Authorities to Improve Framework for Competitiveness
The competitiveness of the ceramic and glass manufacturing industries was considered at a Brussels conference held on 16 May 2007 – 'From 2007 on: the Principal Challenges Facing the European Glass & Ceramics Industries' – organised by the DG Enterprise & Industry of the European Commission.
“The European ceramics and glass industries are energy-intensive, and they have to sell their products on markets that are increasingly open to international competition. Increased outsourcing to third countries like China is an indication that the EU regulatory framework no longer seems to be able to safeguard the position of the industry that is based in Europe,” said Dieter Schäfer, member of the Board of Cérame-Unie and President of the European Tile Manufacturers' Federation.
The two European Industries employ together around 400,000 people and they have a total turnover of around €60 billion. Both industries have seen a dramatic erosion of their competitive position in recent years, which has been expressed in a reduction of their external trade surplus. In the case of ceramics this surplus was reduced from €5 billion in 2003 to €3.5 billion in 2006.
The two industries point at the combination of excessively high European energy price levels, very ambitious EU environment standards and a too lenient EU trade policy as an important reason for the loss of international competitiveness.
At the 16 May conference, Cérame-Unie and CPIV presented a 10-point action plan for an EU sectoral policy on glass and ceramics that they said should address the main shortcomings.
Main elements of the plan are the need to create a global level playing field by 'exporting' EU policies on emissions trading (ETS), REACH and IPPC (pollution control); the liberalisation of the EU gas markets; the adaptation of ETS by using benchmarking, and allowing for 'ex-post' allocation of emission rights; the postponement of the IPPC review until sufficient experience is obtained on the implementation of the present Directive; and the wish to benchmark (social) housing policies at EU level.
Cérame-Unie and CPIV very much welcomed the European Commission's initiative to organise this conference which was attended by officials of several Directorates-General of the Commission, Members of the European Parliament, including the EP ceramics forum Chairman Malcolm Harbour and Vice-President Michael Cashman; representatives of the EU member states, including for the German Council Presidency Director-General Dr Jürgen Mayer of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie; and more than 100 employer and employee representatives of both industries.
www.cerameunie.eu
ENDS