FECC Annual Congress In Hungary
“Partnership For Success"
300 members of the European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC) gathered at the annual congress in Budapest in early June 2008, this year with the theme “Partnership for Success.”
In his talk, Steve Holland described opportunities for growth for chemical distributors in Central and Eastern Europe as well as Russia.
Photo: FECC
The participants from Western and Eastern Europe, the US, Mexico, Brazil, India, China and South Africa discussed the role of partnerships and cooperations between chemical distributors, their suppliers and customers in improving the supply chain. Otto Linher, representative from the EU Commission, reported on the current guidelines of the REACH Initiative regarding “only representatives" (ORs). ORs are companies or individuals that pre-register or register chemicals on behalf of non-EU manufacturers. Because non-EU manufacturers without a subsidiary in the European Union are legally forbidden from registering their chemicals under REACH, they are allowed to appoint an exclusive representative ("OR") for this purpose if they want to continue to export to the EU. In addition to REACH, talks at the congress addressed such important issues as the increasing importance of private equity investors in the chemicals industry and developing the markets of Eastern Europe, especially Russia. Steve Holland, member of the Executive Board of Brenntag Holding GmbH and head of European business, touched on the opportunities for the industry in these regions, stating: "Companies that invest in their employees, in infrastructure and in the international standard for health, safety and the environment can achieve sustainable growth in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe." He used the success story of Brenntag CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) to illustrate his informed and detailed lecture. The number of FECC members has been continuously increasing for years and currently comprises all of Western Europe as well as Hungary and the Czech Republic. Numerous national associations and companies from Eastern and Southeastern Europe are applying for membership, which was one of the reasons for selecting Budapest as the venue for this year’s event. During meeting breaks and the gala dinner in particular, countless experiences, strategies and of course business cards were exchanged, making this year’s FECC Congress the ideal networking event for all those involved. Further information:www.fecc.org
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