At its 2014 general assembly meeting, held on 6 June, European Plastics Converters (EuPC, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsconverters.eu) elected Renolit (Worms / Germany; www.renolit.com) CEO Michael Kundel as its new president. He succeeds Bernhard Borgardt of the German Association for Plastics Packaging and Films (IK, Bad Homburg; www.kunststoffverpackungen.de), who chaired EuPC for the last six years.

During his inaugural speech, Kundel emphasised the need to protect the interests of Europe’s mostly medium-sized plastics converters in the global market. These companies are an important driver of the European economy, he said, adding that their competitiveness should be a key concern for EU politicians, too. EuPC, which represents some 50,000 companies, plans to focus its work in the coming years on production and energy costs as well as feedstock supply.

During the assembly, EuPC representatives agreed to set up a joint task force to examine the competitiveness of Europe’s plastics industry and take a closer look at its future in the face of ongoing global pressures and changes. EuPC managing director Alexandre Dangis also confirmed some of the main priorities, including the EU’s Green Paper on plastics, marine litter as well as the global polymer trade with respect to ensuring continuous supply.

At the event, EuPC also called on the European Commission, its member states and the European Parliament to raise the industry’s GDP share from the current 16% to 20% by 2020 and to ensure a more competitive plastics industry in Europe.

Aside from Kundel and Borgardt, elected EuPC steering committee members are Frédéric Midy (Aliaxis), Björn Hoem (Sphere), Heinz-Gunther Sauerhoff (Ter Hell), Renato Zelcher (Crocco Spa), Marc Cornu (Ampacet) and Peter Davies (BPF). The latter will retire as BPF director general at the end of June, to be replaced by Philip Law – for details, see Plasteurope.com of 17.10.2013.