2015 INSYSME meeting, Athens

The INSYSME plenary 18th month meeting took place on 23-24 March 2015 in Athens, Greece at NTUA's premises. TBE, a dissemination partner, followed the meeting from a distance by telephone conference.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to project review with the European Commission Project Officer and the Technical Expert. The second day of the meeting was of more technical nature and the Consortium analysed the status of the project, tackled issues regarding WPs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and planned future activities. The meeting was also be enriched by a visit at NTUA's Laboratories of Reinforced Concrete Earthquake Engineering during the first day.

INSYSME, which stands for “INnovative SYStems for earthquake resistant Masonry Enclosures in reinforced concrete framed buildings”, involves cooperation between national associations, research institutes and companies from seven European countries. For more information, visit the INSYSME website at www.insysme.eu.

INSYSME communication documents

INSYSME partners have developed three communication documents (see below) to disseminate relevant information on the main elements of the project, namely its framework, the objectives and the structure. These documents will be used by the project partners in the relevant meetings and events to share information with interested parties.

• Fact sheet
• Flyer
• Poster

INSYSME, which stands for “INnovative SYStems for earthquake resistant Masonry Enclosures in reinforced concrete framed buildings”, aims at developing innovative systems for masonry enclosures.

For more information, visit the INSYSME website at www.insysme.eu. 

2014 Conference on Research & Innovation in Ceramics

How industry benefits from EU funding

The 2014 Ceramic Days were organised by Cerame-Unie from 1 to 5 December in Brussels. On 4 December a conference on research and innovation (R&I) investigated the role of EU funding in the ceramic sector. 

Just ahead of the EU Competitiveness Council on 5 December which will study the link between R&I and European competitiveness, a Commission official from DG Research and Innovation presented theopportunities available to industry through Horizon 2020.

Speakers shared facts and figures on schemes available under H2020 as well as tips and tricks for seeking EU funding for ceramic research projects. Panellists disclosed their practical experience with EU-funded projects on earthquake-resistant masonry (INSYSME), standardisation in refractories (ReStaR), innovative heat recovery (financed through SILC I and LIFE) and different projects related to silica.

The conference and the various success stories demonstrated the continued need for EU-funded programmes through Horizon 2020.

Read the conference report:

About the Ceramic Days

As the preeminent policy event for Europe’s ceramic manufacturers, the Ceramic Days present a key occasion for representatives from all ceramic sectors, experts and policymakers to exchange ideas at sectoral and public events.

“With high-level speakers and fully booked public events, the 2014 Ceramic Days were a resounding success,” affirmed Alain Delcourt, Cerame-Unie President.

“The ceramic industry, with 80% SMEs and 200,000 direct jobs, is a valuable asset for the EU in terms of growth and jobs. Significant steps towards an industrial renaissance must be taken to ensure a 20% share of GDP for the industry by 2020. To this end, Cerame-Unie will continue to provide expertise and policy recommendations as laid out in our Manifesto.”

2014 European Parliament Ceramics Forum (EPCF)

On 3 December 2014 MEP Paul Rübig and MEP Elisabetta Gardini co-hosted the 15th European Parliament Ceramics Forum (EPCF) in the EP, followed by a cocktail reception with a keynote speech by Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry. Held in the context of the 2014 Ceramic Days, the discussions demonstrated that the ceramics industry, a manufacturing and SME-driven sector, plays a key role in delivering much needed growth and jobs for the EU.

The EPCF Plenary session featured panel debates with speakers from the European Parliament, European Commission and industry. EPCF Chair MEP Paul Rübig stressed the importance of the annual Forum stating that “I am proud to be part of a platform that has enabled a constructive dialogue between industry experts and EU policy makers for more than 15 years. Dialogue is essential when working to reinforce growth and jobs in Europe.”

Three panels explored topics that impact the ceramic industry and are currently being discussed at EU level: the circular economy, the international competitiveness of SMEs and the future of the EU Emissions Trading System.

In his contribution to the first panel, Dr Heimo Scheuch, Cerame-Unie Vice-President and CEO of Wienerberger AG, expressed that “with respect to sustainable construction, the entire life cycle of a clay construction product must be considered when discussing resource efficiency.”

MEP Anthea McIntyre, EPCF Vice-Chair, opened the panel on trade emphasising that EU policies should focus on “facilitating trade and removing trade barriers, as exports play an essential role for the competitiveness of ceramic companies – particularly for SMEs.”

On climate and energy, MEP Antonio Tajani, EP VP and EPCF Vice-Chair, commented that “it is possible to celebrate a marriage between industrial policy and climate and energy policies. This is essential to avoid carbon leakage.”

Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry, gave the keynote speech at the cocktail reception. He noted that “as Europe continues to fight its way out of the financial crisis, promoting industrial competitiveness is of the utmost importance. Manufacturing sectors like ceramics have been and will continue to be a vital part of the European economy and the creation of jobs.”

For more information about the EPCF, visit www.epceramicsforum.eu. The 16th EPCF Plenary will take place in Brussels on 1 December 2015.

Read the full report:

European Council agrees on 2030 climate & energy framework

EU Heads of State and Government meeting in Brussels on 23-24 October reached an agreement on the 2030 climate and energy framework. The package includes the following targets:

• At least 40% domestic reduction in GHG emissions;

• A binding EU target of at least 27% for renewable energy;

• An indicative target of at least 27 % for energy efficiency, with a revision in 2020 “having in mind an EU level of 30%”.

ETS sectors will have to reduce their emissions by 43% compared to 2005. To that purpose, the annual reduction factor will increase from 1.74% to 2.2% as of 2021. The ETS will be reformed with an instrument to stabilise the market in line with the Commission proposal.

In order to preserve the competitiveness of EU industry, free allocation will continue after 2020 to prevent the risk of carbon leakage due to climate policy. The benchmarks for free allocations will be periodically reviewed in line with technological progress in the respective industry sectors. Both direct and indirect carbon costs will be taken into account, in line with the EU state aid rules so as to ensure a level-playing field. The most efficient installations in these sectors should not face undue carbon costs leading to carbon leakage. Future allocations will ensure better alignment with changing production levels in different sectors.

The full text of the European Council conclusions is available here.

Position on post 2020 climate & energy policies

The recent initiatives instigated by the European Commission - Market Stability Reserve, 2030 framework, post 2020 carbon leakage - provide an ideal opportunity for a holistic debate on EU post-2020 climate and energy policies that extends beyond marginal adjustments to existing policy instruments.

In this context, the European Ceramic Industry Association Cerame-Unie has issued a position paper calling on EU institutions to ensure that post 2020 climate and energy policies preserve the competitiveness of European industry in order to foster the growth avoid carbon and investment leakage and favour the development of breakthrough technologies supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. The position paper is in line with the letter addressed from the European Alliance of Energy Intensive Industries (AEII) to European institutions in view of the European Council meeting of 23-24 October.

Read the CU position paper

Read the AEII letter

2014 INSYSME meeting, Kassel

INSYSME met on 18 and 19 September 2014 in Kassel, Germany. The meeting was hosted by the Institute of Structural Engineering, part of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Kassel. Earlier this year, TBE also attended a two-day meeting held in April 2014 in Coimbra, Portugal.

INSYSME, which stands for “INnovative SYStems for earthquake resistant Masonry Enclosures in reinforced concrete framed buildings”, involves cooperation between national associations, research institutes and companies from seven European countries. Participants also include Tiles & Bricks Europe (TBE) members from Italy, Germany and Portugal. TBE will play an active role in the dissemination of the results of the project.

The project aims at developing innovative systems for masonry enclosures. These would be used for façades, envelopes and internal partitions of reinforced concrete framed buildings, to derive sound concepts for their analysis and to develop reliable, simple and efficient methods for their design in the everyday engineering practice. The research will offer innovative solutions to scientific and technological problems which have a broad-spectrum impact. The involvement of SME associations in the project, with the aid of all partners, will ensure that the needs of large communities of SMEs are met.

The INSYSME project, selected for EU funding, was officially launched in October 2013 with a kick-off meeting that took place at the University of Padua, Italy.

For more information, visit the INSYSME website at www.insysme.eu. 

Views on resource efficiency and the circular economy package

On 2 July 2014, the European Commission published its Communication on resource efficiency,Towards a circular economy: a zero waste programme for Europe. In this context, the European Ceramic Industry Association Cerame-Unie would like to present its views on the circular economy package.

In our paper, we stress that resource efficiency requires a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach that takes into account all stages of the product, including its durability, lifespan and reduction of resource consumption over the use phase. The paper also highlights that the social and economic aspects of sustainability should always be considered in EU legislation.

To reach a circular economy in Europe, adequate access to raw materials as well as separation and processing of waste and a well-functioning market for secondary raw materials are needed. At the end of the paper, some best practice examples taking place in the ceramic industry are presented.

Download in PDF

TBE welcomes new President Yiannis Maliouris

On the occasion of the 2014 TBE Congress in Naples, and as already foreseen, Yiannis Maliouris, CEO of B. Maliouris S.A., took over from Heimo Scheuch as TBE President. After six years as President, Dr Scheuch, CEO of Wienerberger AG, will stay on as TBE Vice-President.

Mr Maliouris and Dr Scheuch restated the importance of TBE as a representative body of the whole European bricks and roof tiles industry and welcomed the opportunity to hold the 2014 TBE meetings together with those of the Italian national association ANDIL.

Moreover, they reaffirmed that TBE in its highly efficient structure shall continue its efforts to work together with the European institutions in order to further develop the industry, its presence in Europe and assist in facing the challenges within the European legal framework.

Clay bricks and roof tiles as the preferred construction materials for residential construction in Europe provide not only for energy efficient and long lasting construction but also ensure affordable housing all over Europe!

2014 TBE Congress, Naples

The 62nd TBE Congress took place in Naples on 19-20 June 2014, kindly hosted by the Italian brick and tile association ANDIL, which organised their annual meetings on the same occasion. The TBE and ANDIL events drew over 170 CEOs and executives from the bricks and roof tiles industry from across Europe. The annual meetings fall at an important juncture as Italy will be assuming the rotating EU Presidency from 1 July 2014.

On 19 June participants attended the TBE Roof Tiles Product Group, TBE Masonry Product Group and the TBE Environmental & Technical Working Group. These meetings provided updates on current TBE activities in the fields of standardisation, climate and energy, Construction Products Regulation, INSYSME project and sustainable construction. The meetings also provided a platform for experts to share their experiences at national level thus further informing TBE actions at EU level.

Following the TBE Executive Committee, members attended a gala dinner at Naples’ Yacht Club Nautico Savoia. A view of the infamous Mount Vesuvius and the harbour of Naples accompanied the delicious meal.

The TBE General Assembly, held on 20 June, served as an occasion to mark the achievements of 2013-2014 and identify upcoming challenges.

Particularly noteworthy is TBE’s development of Product Category Rules (PCR) for clay bricks, blocks, roof tiles and pavers. At EU level, climate and energy dossiers such as the Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines and the Carbon Leakage list 2015-2019 ensured the continued competitiveness of the European industry.

Upcoming challenges for the bricks and roof tiles industry include the implementation of the PCR at CEN level (European Committee for Standardization). TBE will also be working to further the European Commission’s aims outlined in its Communication on Resource Efficiency Opportunities in the Building Sector.

The General Assembly was also an opportunity to celebrate the leadership of TBE’s outgoing President and CEO of Wienerberger AG, Heimo Scheuch. Yiannis Maliouris, the former TBE Vice-President and CEO of B. Maliouris S.A., will gladly take over the task of representing TBE as President.

The rest of the day was devoted to a joint TBE-ANDIL public debate on the topic Paving the way for sustainable growth in Europe. TBE and ANDIL Presidents debated the role of the construction sector in Europe, particularly in the context of the Italian Presidency of the EU, with guest speakers from the European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry, the Italian Ministry for Economic Development, the Italian Investment Fund, Federcostruzioni and Confindustria. Political measures to re-launch the construction sector – such as a European plan promoting social housing or support for the rehabilitation of the existing building stock through renovation and rebuilding when appropriate – were discussed and agreed to be crucial for the economic recovery of Italy and the EU.

Thanks to TBE members, ANDIL and the technical partners, the 2014 TBE Congress was a great success and will not soon be forgotten.