High Level Group

VIDEO

Extracts from the introduction remarks by Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the European Commission - Commissioner for Industry and Enterpreneurship: European Commission Audiovisual Service

SPEECHES

Vice President of the European Commission - Commissioner for Industry and Enterpreneurship, Antonio TAJANI [128 KB]

Deputy State Secretary, Ministry for National Economy - Hungary, Balázs HIDVÉGHI [23 KB]

President of the European Chemical Industry Council, Giorgio SQUINZI [24 KB]

Vice President of the European Chemical Regions Network, Alberto CAVALLI [35 KB]

President of the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences, Luis ORO [33 KB]

PRESENTATIONS

DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, José-Lorenzo VALLES [2 MB]

European Chemical Industry Council, Gernot KLOTZ [4 MB]

Centre for Process Innovation, North East England, Alan McCLELLAND [7 MB]

Novamont SpA, Francesco DEGLI INNOCENTI [3 MB]

DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commision, Manuel HUBERT [3 MB]

Federacion Empresarial de la Industria Qiomica Española, Cristina GONZALEZ-ALONSO [2 MB]

Zenit GmbH, Karsten LEMKE [2 MB]

European Chemistry Thematic Network Association, Pavel DRASAR [8 MB]

European Schoolnet, Agueda GRAS-VELAZQUEZ [2 MB]

Introduction

In 2007 the Commission set up a High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the European Chemicals Industry¹ in order to “conduct economic and statistical analysis of the factors determining the structural changes in the chemicals industry” and “to formulate a set of policy recommendations addressed to policy makers, industry and civil society organisations”.

In February 2009, the HLG adopted its final report (HLG Report) including 39 policy recommendations² , which were agreed unanimously and addressed to a wide range of actors, including the Commission services, Member States and regional authorities, as well as industry and other stakeholders.

Following the invitation from the Competitiveness Council in May 2009, the Commission – in close cooperation with Member States, chemical regions, industry and other stakeholders – has concluded a stock tacking exercise on the implementation of these recommendations, and adopted a report³ early in 2011.

A thriving range of policies, initiatives and programmes at all levels emerged, testifying to the importance of an industry of fundamental relevance for the whole European economy. The picture provided in the report is a milestone to focus attention in order to achieve a complete implementation of the High Level Group recommendations.

The event

On 10 February 2011, the Commission hosted a conference that took stock of the current situation of the European chemicals industry and presented concrete cases of actions implementing the High Level Group recommendations with particular emphasis on innovation and human resources, which can serve as examples and best practice for other actors or areas of activity.

The Commission also presented the future steps it intends to take in order to continue fostering the implementation of the recommendations.

At the same time, the conference marked the International Year of Chemistry, an initiative launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

Programme [2 MB] (updated 31/01/2011)

The registration was closed on 23 January 2011.