1. 1 OPEN DAYS SEMINAR: Themes for trans-national and interregional cooperation: ECRN - The European Chemical Regions Network www.ecrn.net Centre Borschette, 10.10.07 17.00 – 19.00 Thomas Wobben Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the European Union Boulevard Saint Michel 80 B-1040 Brussels

2. 2 (Petro-) Chemical Industry in Europe is clustered in a limited number of sites the chemical industry plays a dominant role in these regions chemical industry, the chemical sites and the chemical regions are faced with similar challenges: to find efficient way to implement EU legislation to support competitiveness of the chemical industry and therefore safeguarding the sustainable development of the chemical sites in the long run to exploit the new framework conditions in a most efficient way: change of business structures and culture and globalisation Starting Point

3. 3 Joint Interests of Chemical Regions Chemical regions in Europe are affected by these EU regulations in a similar way The regional dimension of EU legislation is often forgotten or only scarcely taken into account Chemical sites/chemical regions must respond to the changing framework conditions in finding joint solutions on: –Training and Education, –Research and Development, –Infra Structure Development, etc.

4. 4 Steps to set up the network 1st Congress of Chemical Regions on 21st of May 2003 –250 Participants –2 Commissioners –30 CEO of Chemical Companies and Site Initiatives 17.09.03 Joint Application of Lombardy, Saxony-Anhalt and Asturias in the call of DG Research on Knowledge Region 17.09. 26.09.03: Joint Application of the network within INTERREG III C –13 Regions as partners –1,7 Mio. EURO for network budget –duration of the support 3 years

5. 5 The ERCN consortium Partner: Saxony-Anhalt, D (Lead Partner) Lower Saxony, D North Rhine Westphalia, D Catalonia, E Asturias, E Huleva, E Ida-Viru, EST Masowia, PL Limburg, NL Piedmont, I Lombardy, I Tees Valley, UK Cheshire, UK Budget: 1,7 Mio. EURO (997.000 support by INTERREG III C) Duration: 3 years (January 2004 – December 2007)

6. 6 Aims and Objectives of the ECRN Improving regional development strategies in Chemical regions Maintaining competitiveness by fostering European co- operation of regional actors Developing a European partnership of regional partnerships in Chemical regions Articulating common interests of Chemical regions towards the European institutions Recognizing the European Chemical Regions Network as a genuine stakeholder in the future debate on Chemical policy.

7. 7 Rationality of Lobby-Work Draft legislation Decision of the Commission Council and EP readings Effort time National Decision Making 85% 15%

8. 8 The ECRN and REACH ECRN was part of it

9. 9 Speakers: Margot Wallström, Member of the European Commission Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Böhmer, Prime Minister of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt Dr. Horst Rehberger, Minister for Economy and Labour of Saxony-Anhalt Reinhard Reibsch, General Secretary of the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers Federation John Hontelez, Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau Dr. Gerd Romanowski, Managing director and Head of the Department Science, technology Miroslaw Lewinski, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Social Policy, Department of Industrial Policy, Poland Boguslaw Kowalski, Vice-Marshal Of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Tony Richmond, Darlington Borough Council Ingrid Häußler, Mayor of the City of Halle Councillor John Fraser, Chair of Cheshire County Council's Economic Development Board, Cheshire County Petra Wernicke, Minister for Agriculture and Environment of Saxony-Anhalt Dr. Andreas Ahrens, Ökopol Hamburg Carol Watts, Director of the North West Chemical Initiative, Cheshire Eduard Figuerola, Generalitat de Catalunya, General Directorate for Industry, Commerce and Tourism Dr.-Ing. Christoph Mühlhaus, DOW Olefinverbund GmbH Maria Teresa Annovazzi, Assessore al Bilancio, Province of Novara and environment of Verband der Chemischen Industrie, Frankfurt Rudolf Bohn, Secretary of State, Ministry for Economy and Labour of Saxony-Anhalt Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz, Minister for Science of Saxony-Anhalt Prof. J. M. Bainbridge OBE Dr. Rinaldo Psaro, Research Manager, CNR National Research Council, Region Lombardia Jan Dopper, Member of the Managing Board of DSM, Limburg Jean Severijns, Province of Limburg Magne Haugseng, Development Initiative for Chemical Industry Dependent Areas - DICIDA- Network UK Dr. Gerwald F. Grahe, President of Landesverband Nordost des Verbandes der Chemische Industrie Dr. Gunthard Bratzke, isw - Institute for Structural Policy and Economic Promotion gGmbH Steve Duncan, Regional Development Agency ONE Northeast Antonio Cáceres, Director of the Department for Local Development and Employment of the County Council of Huelva, Spain Andreas Hiltermann, InfraLeuna, Saxony-Anhalt JUDr. Richard Hlavatý., Head of European Integration, Ministry for Industry and Trade of Czech Republic ECRN as a tool for exchange

10. 10 ECRN Network Secretariat (isw Halle) Regional Partnerships Implementation Structure of the ECRN Regional Partnerships Regional Partnerships Regional Partnerships Saxony-Anhalt LP

11. 11 Quantitative Results Integrating of about 1.600 regional stakeholders in Regional Partnership Meetings Implementing of five thematic studies Organising a number of Working Group Meetings, 6 Presidium Meetings, 3 Training Seminars and 3 Congresses – Brining together relevant stakeholders from European chemical regions (27 interregional events with approx. 1200 participants) Representing joint interest in EU Decision Making Process (14 Joint Position Papers) Developing of spin off projects for the further development and deepening of cooperation (e.g. MentorChem and ChemSME) More than 170 Articles about ECRN in past 3 years, 36.000 hits on ECRN Website, 6 Newsletters, 15 Brochures Setting up of the ECRN association as a legal body

12. 12 Recognition of the ECRN as stakeholder to represent the chemical regions vis-à-vis the European Commission

13. 13 Current Membership of ECRN (2/2007) Sachsen-Anhalt (D) Niedersachsen (D) Nordrhein-Westfalen (D) Cheshire (UK) Tees Valley (UK) Asturias (ESP) Catalonia (ESP) Ida Viru (EST) Limburg (NDL) Schleswig-Holstein (D) Rheinland-Pfalz (D) Flanders (B) Usti Nad Labem (CZE) Hessen (D)

14. 14 Influencing EU Policies Success factors: Defining joint interests between the regions (i.e. REACH) Engaging the stakeholders at regional level Developing strategic co-operations at EU level Defining the added value of the Network Timing and content of your contribution Actions: Participation in INTERNET Consultations (Climate, Innovation, Energy, etc) Engaging EU Institutions in Network activities Focus on achievable results Concerted and coordinated efforts at al levels

15. 15 Lessons learned by the ECRN project Involvement of regional actors is crucial o Setting up regional partnerships Long term vision of networking activities necessary o Having a long term agenda at EU level and in the regions Managing ambitions and expectations o Defining achievable targets Efficient project management essential o Experienced project manager necessary Commitment and communication skills of the Lead Partner o Overcoming bureaucracy Focus on project sustainability o Defining survival strategies right from the beginning

16. From regional networking to interregional co- operation

17. 17 Chemical Industry in Central Germany: 7 chemical sites highly interlinked in three German regions The physical network

18. 18 Industrial Sites Small & Medium Enterprises Small & Medium Enterprises Chemical Industries Chemical Industries Universities Training and Education Training and Education Institutes + Organizations Institutes + Organizations Czech Other countries Estonia Poland Slovakia Chemical Triangle East Germany Chemical Triangle East Germany CeChemNet

19. 19 Setting up joint working groups on site development in Central Germany

20. 20 Cluster Strategy in Central Germany local/regional networking (Cluster Development) joint articulation of cluster interests interregional networking through ECRN and EU-Projects

21. 21 The ECRN and INTERREG IV C Since 2003 the EU has encouraged stakeholders in the field of science, innovation and business to form European Technology Platforms One of this Technology Platform is SusChem which is managed by CEFIC and focuses on leading technologiesin the field of chemical industrial research Since its setup the ECRN took part in the SusChem Mirror Group ECRN II application focussing on research and innovation in chemical regions by adding a regional dimension to the European Technology Platform instrument in the field Aim of ECRN II: Developing regional technology platforms in chemical regions CEFIC has signalled to join the initiative

22. 22 Further Contacts Ministry for Economy and Labour Saxony-Anhalt Ms. Catrin Gutowsky Hasselbachstraße 4 D 39104 Magdeburg Tel. +49 391 567 44 52 Fax. +49 391 567 44 50 e-mail: catrin.gutowsky@mw.lsa-net.de www.ecrn.netcatrin.gutowsky@mw.lsa-net.dewww.ecrn.net Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the European Union Mr. Thomas Wobben Boulevard Saint Michel 80 B-1040 Brussels Tel.: +32.2.741 09 31 Fax: +32.2.741 09 39 E-mail: thomas.wobben@lv-bruessel.stk.sachsen-anhalt.de

23. 23 Thank you for your attention!