Brussels, 8 April 2010 – Cefic Vice-President and Bayer Board member Wolfgang Plischke took the
opportunity of speaking at a hearing on the future of European industry at the European Parliament’s
Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee to call on the Committee to support innovation by
allocating more of the EU’s research funding to innovation.

“Our view is that the new Framework Programme 8 should dedicate around 30% of its funds to
demonstration projects”, Plischke told the Committee, making it “more attractive for SMEs’ engagement
through easier access and supporting complementarity between result-driven innovation such as
renewable feedstocks for the low-carbon economy and technology-driven innovation such as key
enabling technologies.”

Pointing to the European chemical industry’s role as a world leader with 30% of the world’s chemical
production, coupled with the fact that 96% of Cefic member companies are SMEs, Dr Plischke called
on the Committee to recognise the need for a value chain approach to innovation, with a balance
between the service economy and manufacturing. “Innovation is a chain that needs all its elements to
be strong”, Plischke said.

“Innovation requires a specific policy. The current instruments, which are all excellent for research,
need to be changed significantly to support innovation”, Cefic Executive Director for Research &
Innovation Gernot Klotz said. “But funding alone will not foster the Innovation Union. Innovation is
about turning ideas into practical solutions broadly available for the whole society: this requires a
change of mindset for all actors involved. And this change is already taking place in our industry.”

For further information: Annie Mutamba Tel: +32 2 676 7337 amu@cefic.be