BIOPLASTICS

EU producers press for lower bioethanol duties / Competition from the Americas

CHLORINE PRODUCTION

Mercury process banned in EU from 11 December 2017 on / Switch to alternative processes largely completed

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Manifesto for European bioeconomy / Novamont represents plastics industry

UNITED KINGDOM

"Brexit" and plastics industry / BPF fears high trade costs with the EU / Priorities include access to skills / European chemical industry signs joint statement / Plastics exports to UK particularly important for Ireland

TITANIUM DIOXIDE

ECHA set to classify pigment as category 2 carcinogen / Industry takes issue

EVENTS

MedPharmPlast Europe conference takes place in Brussels in late November

PLASTICS AND HEALTH

EU Commission finally presents proposals for regulating endocrine disruptors / Trade associations critical / Forward strategy based on WHO criteria

ASSOCIATIONS

PlasticsEurope appoints Javier Constante and Daniele Ferrari as vice presidents

ASSOCIATIONS

ISOPA general assembly elects new leadership

PLASTICISERS

ECPI urges European Commission to authorise recycling of flexible PVC containing DEHP / Expresses disappointment in European Parliament's objection

EVENTS

Workshop on flame retardants in the electronics industry held in Munich

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Confidence maintained despite minimal output growth / Sales down 4% / Trade surplus deteriorates / Polymers output continues pointing down in June / Cefic chemicals trends report

EVENTS

“Helsinki Chemicals Forum” to take place in Finnish capital in May / Seminar held in conjunction with ECHA Stakeholders' Day

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

EU chemicals output treads water in 2014 / Petrochemicals production down 4% year-on-year / Cefic chemicals trends report

PLASTICS MARKETS EUROPE

Consumption grows 1% in 2013 / Polyolefins, PU and PET see gains / PVC and PS demand continues to fall / Producers under rising pressure / USA as most important trade partner

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Europe struggles to remain competitive amid US shale gas onslaught / Industry organisations call on EU to help / Oxford study analyses chances and risks

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

PIE speaks to ECPI's sector group manager Stéphane Content about the European plasticisers market / Media wrongly group all phthalates together as harmful / Sustainability a key focus / REACH implementation should be balanced and pragmatic

ASSOCIATIONS

Solvay CEO Clamadieu elected president of Cefic

PETROCHEMICALS EUROPE

Cefic's petchems segment APPE has a new name

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

EU chemicals output continues to rise in Q1 despite petrochemicals decline / Polymers production grows by 1.3% in March / Cefic data

PVC RECYCLING

VinylPlus: Record of more than 440,000 t PVC recycled in 2013 / 81% decrease in the use of lead-based stabilisers in the EU-27

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Chemical output stagnant in 2013 / H2 growth helped pull sector out of a recession / Net trade surplus reached EUR 46 bn / Sector confidence down slightly in January 2013 / Cefic report

YEAR IN REVIEW 2013

Part 2 – US shale gas advantage a game changer for European plastics industry / Players seek to level the playing field but authorities slow to react

ASSOCIATIONS

Cefic: Dorothee Arns new executive director

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Production declines by 2% EU-wide in the first five months of 2013 / Growth engine revving in fits and starts / Company chieftains now more cautious about full-year outlook / Cefic trend report