Brussels, 04/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European plastics industry has formulated its recommendations to the new European Commission in a manifesto presented by PlasticsEurope and EuPC (European plastics converters) on Tuesday 4 November.
The manifesto highlights the contribution the sector makes and the fact that it employs 1.4 million Europeans. It also underlines the challenges it has to face, such as waste management, energy prices, raw materials and the absence of harmonised legislation on chemicals, in addition to the lack of skilled personnel.
The manifesto is therefore recommending that European decision-makers take into account the situation and promotes innovation and an investment-friendly political framework for the plastics industry. In practical terms this will involve completing the single energy market and allowing the production of shale gas in Europe. The industry also affirmed that harmonising chemicals legislation should follow a “one market - one regulation approach”. This will involve ensuring better control of products entering the EU to make sure they comply with European legislation. The European plastics industry also wants innovation to be promoted on the markets and that there is more awareness about new technologies at a social level. It argues that the manufacturing, conversion and recycling of plastics should be included in school syllabuses with, for example, apprenticeships in the industry and a European higher education level diploma in plastics. Patrick Thomas, the president of PlasticsEurope and CEO of Bayer Material Science, explained that this industry is part of the solution for creating a circular economy and developing a resource efficient Europe. (MD)