Lobbying Brussels For Change

1
Lobbying Brussels For Change

• Dr Jason Leadbitter
• Divisional Environmental Affairs Manager, Hydro
  Polymers Ltd
• Wednesday 12th December 2001

2
Contents

• Case History on PVC
• European Commission Green Paper on PVC
• European Industry Voluntary Commitments
• UK Voluntary Initiatives
• Conclusions
• More info _at_ www.hydropolymers.co.uk

3
European Commission Green Paper - Background (I)

• EU Directive on End of Life Vehicles 1997
• A Horizontal Initiative
• PVC Waste in all Applications
• Co-responsibility of DG Enterprise DG
  Environment
• Consultancies Commissioned
• Seen as an opportunity to PVC at the time

4
Green Paper -Background (II)

• Consultancy Studies
• DG Environment
• PVC Mechanical Recycling (PROGNOS)
• PVC Flue Gas Treatment in Incineration Plants
  (BERTIN)
• PVC Landfill (ARGUS)
• PVC Waste Management Economic Evaluation (AEA)
• DG Enterprise
• PVC and Chemical Recycling (TNO)

5
Industrys Opinion of The Studies

• Industry able to submit some data eg. To PROGNOS
  Study
• Process difficult to access
• DG Environment dominated
• Industry complaint to EC
• Generally unhappy with them
• Landfill Study widely condemned
• PVC treated in isolation with no consideration of
  alternatives
• Waste Management viewed in isolation

6
Green Paper on PVC

• 3 years later, Green Paper launched in July 2000
• Scope wider than Waste Management
• Text presents a difficult compromise between DGs
  for Environment and Enterprise
• Selective use of evidence
• Pandered to environmental lobby
• Only illustrates part of PVC story
• Little on benefits in use
• Voluntary Commitment or other industry
  initiatives given insufficient prominence

7
Consultation Process

• Consultation with broad range of Stakeholders
• Member States Governments
• UK DETR/DTI (- complete)
• includes Government LCA study on PVC
• EC Website (30,000 responses - complete)
• 95 positive 5 negative
• October 23rd 2000 Brussels Public Hearing
• European Parliament (completed April 2001)
• Rapporteur Guido Sacconi
• End point European Commission Draft
  Communication on PVC by end of 2001

8
Industrys Input - Europe

• European Voluntary Commitment March 2000
• ECVM . EuPC . ECPI . ESPA
• Presented to Commissioners Wallstrom
  (Environment) and Liikanen (Enterprise) in March
  2000
• Managed by Eco-Vinyl Committee
• Funding of projects
• Relations with authorities
• Industry must deliver

9
European Industry Voluntary Commitments -
Progress Report March 2001

• Nine new waste management projects
• Phase-out of heavy metal based stabiliser systems
• Completion of the Tavaux feedstock recycling
  pilot plant
• Six new independent research reports published
• Social dialogue agreement
• 12 million euro of funding for new projects in
  2001
• www.pvcinitiative.com

10
Industry Input - UK

• Trade Associations played an important part
• e.g. BPF submissions to UK Government and
  European Commission
• BPF brochure of PVC Industry
• Individual company submissions
• Direct submission to Commission Government
• Dialogue with local MEPs
• participation at public hearing

11
European Parliament Resolution (3rd April 2001)

• wish list of non-legally binding text
• long with 24 recitals and 33 paragraphs
• several points are conflicting and thereby
  confusing
• hence, press coverage was poor for the industry
• a number of green amendments stating safer
  alternatives and replacing PVC, were rejected by
  a large majority of MEPs
• industry voluntary commitment supported

12
UK Voluntary Commitments

• Major Retailers targeted in UK by Greenpeace
• asked to phase out PVC
• decided to seek independent advice
• NCBS
• Industry commit to Charter,Code of Practice and
  Sustainability Evaluation

13
Charter Code of Practice
14
SustainabilityEvaluation

• Addressed through J Porritt involvement as
  Chairman of the PVC Coordination Group
• What would it take to make PVC fully sustainable?
• Report Produced in July 2000

15
Chairmans Quote
16
Conclusions

• Significant interest in PVC at political level
  and with other stakeholders
• Voluntary Commitments - making progress BUT
  Industry must continue to deliver
• Actively defend and promote PVC at all levels
• especially at European level
• Strive towards sustainable development challenges
• Publicise our achievements
• PVC will remain a socially and economically
  valuable material with a new environmental image!