Europe Tackles Competitiveness

A new high-level group on the competitiveness of the European chemical industry has been launched in Brussels. It is designed to consider how the industry can best remain competitive in face of challenges such as climate change and protection of the environment.

The group was initiated by Günter Verheugen, vice president of the European Commission and commissioner for enterprise and industry. He will be joined from meeting to meeting by commissioners for environment, science and research, external trade, energy, and transport. A slate of top-level executives from the chemical industry and downstream user industries is participating.

Other members of the group include representatives from European Union member countries, trade unions, and nongovernmental organizations representing the environment, academia, and consumers. In meetings over the next 18 months, the group will hammer out recommendations to enhance chemical-industry competitiveness in areas such as innovation, energy and feedstocks, and international trade.