Working Breakfast on “Surface Engineering – European SMEs for a Global Sustainable Manufacturing Future”
SME Europe organized in cooperation with CETS a Working Breakfast on “Surface Engineering – European SMEs for a Global Sustainable Manufacturing Future” on Wednesday March 19th 2014 in the European Parliament’s Salon des Membres.
Dr. Paul RÜBIG MEP, EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, moderated the event and welcomed the guests with a reminder that the EU wants an industry participation in the GDP of 20% by 2020. He also pleaded for a Europe which is more attractive for investments and proclaimed that the future of Europe is highly dependent on the wellbeing of SMEs.
The keynote speaker Dave ELLIOTT, president of the European Committee for Surface Treatment (CETS) opened his speech with an explanatory note on surface engineering, emphasizing the new products made possible by it. He commented that current issues like energy efficiency and photovoltaic cells could be facilitated and improved through surface engineering techniques; therefore the success of a sustainable manufacturing future also relies on surface engineering being used accordingly. At the end Mr. ELLIOTT warned that sustainable component manufacturing is impossible without surface engineering and highlighted that one cannot work without the other. He wished for more certainty from the European Commission on how regulations will change over the following years and for a quick action to the current situation, otherwise there might be great damage on the European economy.
The next speaker, Malcolm HARBOUR MEP, recently elected MEP of the Year 2014, EP Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, continued the discussion with elaborating on the connections between chemical components and surface engineering. Chemical components have always played a very important role in industry workings and the processes are very complex. The current problem of the industry stakeholders is the uncertainty about which substances will be declared hazardous in the future legislation periods. Mr. HARBOUR proclaimed that this is a serious downfall on investment activity, since industry investments last for over three parliamentary election periods and are not worth the risk, when it is not sure if they can be used during all the period.
Following, Joanna DRAKE, Director of SMEs and Entrepreneurship in the DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission, provided the Commission’s view for the discussion. She repeated the need for more clarity, stability and certainty for legislation in this area especially in connection with the terms industrial renaissance and green economy. She explained the Commission’s new green action plan for SMEs, which focuses on better use of waste considering the fact that 60% of the waste of the EU is not recycled and on the establishing of a green circular economy. She pointed out the important role of the Commission in that process as a support and help to the Entrepreneurs facing difficulties implementing the new standards. Concerning the serious access to financing problem many SME face, Mrs DRAKE stated that although no new funds will be provided for that purpose, the Commission will use the existing instruments for the horizon 2020 to facilitate the progress for SMEs. She concluded that greener and more efficient SMEs will be a profit everyone.
Rosalinde VAN DER VLIES, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Janez Potoçčnik, European Commissioner for environment, added to the Commission’s viewpoint of the matter. She highlighted the importance of dialogue between all stakeholders in the area and that environmental protection and industrial growth should not be seen as opposites but as complementary to each other. The aim of the European Commission is, especially regarding environmental legislation, to reduce unnecessary burdensome administrative rules in that area. Commenting on the pledge for more clarity, stability and predictability she mentioned the current co-leadership model, where the DG Enterprise and Industry and the DG Environment coordinate their decisions regarding REACH. Mrs. VAN DER VLIES finished with a plea for even more open discussions between the stakeholders and the Commission in the future.
For the closing Dr. Paul RÜBIG MEP emphasized the need for a win-win situation for industry and environmental protection to achieve the industrial renaissance as well as a sustainable environmental future.
A animated debate followed the speeches, in which Johannes LUSSER, Head of Board of the Collini group, gave a practical example of the difficulties envisaged by entrepreneurs trying to do industry in Europe.
