This was the fifth annual conference on EU
Bioplastics organised by the European Bioplastics Association. Once again the EBA expected numbers to be
down on last year, anticipating no more than 250 delegates, and once again over
360 turned up. This year the organisers
opted for 15 minute presentations and restricted questions to the end of each
session.
EU 2020 and Bioplastics
David
Webber, Senior Partner, Public Affairs and Strategic Communication, PA Europe
(Belgium) observed that for the last 10 years the EU has fiddled with the
Lisbon Treaty while the rest of the world has globalised. It now needs a new agenda, should leave the Lisbon
Treaty as it is, and go for growth. It
has been very good at converting Cash into Knowledge (i.e. Research) and now
needs to emphasise conversion of Knowledge into Cash (i.e. Innovation).
The EU’s 2020 Goals were about breaking down
the walls between the various EEC services and about getting officials to work
together towards common objectives and real tangible targets. Seven Flagship initiatives were listed:
·
An Innovation Union – to boost investment in new
technologies.
·
Youth on the Move – to make education in the EU internationally
attractive.
·
A digital agenda for the EU – high speed
internet for a digital single market.
·
Resource Efficient EU – decarbonising the
economy, emphasising renewables.
·
Industrial policy for Globalisation – more support
for businesses, especially SME’s.
·
Agenda for New Skills and Jobs – match labour
supply with demand.
·
EU against Poverty – to share the benefits of
growth more widely.
The EEC’s 2011 work programme will include
an action plan for a sustainable and innovative bio-economy by 2020, but there’s no specific mention of
bio-plastics. A simple bioplastics
strategy needs to be promoted simultaneously in many different channels
e.g. “Boost Bioplastics to 5% of the EU
plastics market by 2020”. (i.e to 5
million tonnes)
P & G’s Sustainability Vision and Goals
Prof.
Marina Franke of P & G (Europe) presented the latest thinking of the
P&G Sustainability Department
