BRUSSELS (Feb. 13, 2013) — Patrick Lepercq, president of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA), was one of the participants in the Feb. 12 kickoff meeting of the European Innovation Partnership's (EIP) High Level Group meeting on Raw Materials.
The meeting concentrates on ensuring fair and sustainable access to raw materials for all European industry, the ETRMA said.
"The European tire industry expects the EIP to encourage transparency, diversification of supply and capacity building of natural rubber to limit the current market distortions," Mr. Lepercq said at the meeting.
Mr. Lepercq called for the following steps:
• Developing partnerships for foreign direct investment in natural rubber, including increased cooperation with the African Union and other international organizations;
• Introducing binding measures against raw material export restrictions in trade agreements;
• Promoting dialogue between NR-consuming and –producing countries in all appropriate international forums, especially the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG); and
• Including natural rubber in the EIP list of critical raw materials.