Conference on the European ceramics and glass industries creating the conditions for sustainability, Brussels, 27 January 2004The first ever Commission sponsored conference focusing on the
ceramics and glass industries, which was held in Brussels on 27
January 2004, brought together some 120 industry stakeholders, Members
of Parliament and senior Commission officials to discuss the key
factors influencing the sustainable competitiveness of the industries.
High on the agenda were the effects of increasing globalisation,
the costs and accessibility of energy and raw materials, the challenge
of meeting environmental requirements in a cost-effective way, as
well as the strategies needed to maintain viability and employment
in a longer term perspective. The discussions reflected also the
importance of focussing on the industrial competitiveness of manufacturing
industries such as the ceramics and glass sectors. Together these
industries comprise more than 5 000 EU companies, mainly SMEs, with
combined annual production worth some EUR 55 billion, and employing
over 400 000 people. Whilst recognising that industrial sectors such as ceramics and
glass could be particularly vulnerable to any downturn in the economic
cycle, Commissioner Liikanen stressed that the sectors contain a
core of excellent companies. Thanks to their innovation and know-how,
drawing on a long tradition they have become world leaders. They
have expanded their markets in the face of fierce competition. The
Commission will continue to provide a supportive policy framework
for manufacturing industries in order to help them meet their global
challenges. The conference was one of a series of actions being taken in follow-up
to the "Communication on Industrial Policy in an Enlarged Europe",
which the Commission adopted at the end of 2002. That paper focused
on how to increase the competitiveness of European industry in order
to meet the goals of the Lisbon strategy. For further information see: Background Data Principal indicators:
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