Recycling Industries Forum holds plenary session

The first plenary session of the "Recycling Industries Forum" will be held on the 26 January 1999 in Brussels. This event is a result of the communication "The Competitiveness of the Recycling Industries", which the European Commission adopted in July 1998.

The DG III C3 unit, which is in charge of Basic Industries, involving Non- Ferrous Metals, Glass, Ceramics, Lime and Advanced Materials, conducted a study on the Competitiveness of the Recycling Industries. This study later resulted in the communication "The Competitiveness of the Recycling Industries" (COM 98/463 Final), which provides an "extensive analysis of the recycling sector and proposes a wide range of actions which are to be discussed within the framework of the 'Recycling Industries Forum'".

This forum is made up of a group of relevant stakeholders: Member States, industry associations, NGOs and the Commission.

Four possible major fields of activity have been outlined for a more in-depth assessment in working groups:

- Economic/statistical diagnostic;
- Development of trade/standardization;
- Innovation and research;
- Regulatory approach.