Commissioner Oettinger will host on 26 November 2012 a conference on “the future of EU refining: safeguarding competitiveness"
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Brussels, 22 November 2012: Günther Oettinger, Commissioner for Energy, will host on 26 November 2012 a conference “The Future of refining in the EU: Safeguarding competitiveness” to identify means to address EU refining competitiveness challenges.
The European refining industry is under strong, international competitive pressure. At the first Roundtable on EU Refining held in May 2012 Member States representatives highlighted that the combined impact of policies affecting the European refining sector and the unintended consequences of EU legislation need to be assessed.
More recently the Industrial Policy Communication, published on 10 October 2012, which opens the path for a re-industrialisation in the EU proposes to undertake a fitness check of EU legislation impacting the EU refining industry.
As a follow up to the May Roundtable Commissioner Günther Oettinger has called a Conference on EU Refining, to be held on 26 November 2012, to discuss the potential means to address EU refining’s competitiveness challenges. EUROPIA welcomes Commissioner Oettinger’s initiative especially since the
conference will host a broad panel of stakeholders with representatives of Member States, Commission, Members of the European Parliament, Industry and other stakeholders.
Chris Beddoes, EUROPIA Secretary General, commented “We welcome the call for a fitness check of our industry in the Commission’s Industrial Policy Communication; broad and objective input, in particular from Member States, will be vital. This input should help to clarify how a fitness check might assess the risks to the international competitiveness of EU refining created by EU legislation and stimulate action to address these risks. This conference called by Commissioner Oettinger can provide the platform to start the joint work leading, we would hope, to concrete actions in the coming year”.
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EUROPIA, the European Petroleum Industry Association, is the single voice the European Refining & Marketing Industry, the downstream sector of Europe’s oil industry.
EUROPIA is a non-profit organisation and whose 16 members account for more than 80% of EU petroleum refining capacity and some 75% of EU motor fuel retail sales.
EUROPIA as a leading Industry Association aims at contributing pro-actively and
constructively to the development of policies to safeguard the secure and sustainable manufacturing, supply and use of petroleum products by providing competent and expert advice to the EU Institutions, Member State Governments and the wider community.
Contact : Alain Mathuren
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