New Combined European Canmaking Group Formed

BEIJING, July. 6 -- A new umbrella lobbying group has been established by several existing European industry groups, according to The Canmaker magazine. Called Metal Packaging Europe (MPE), its formation was agreed at a meeting in Brussels at the end of May by executives from European Metal Packaging (Empac), Beverage Can Makers Europe, APEAL (the packaging steel manufacturers) and the European Aluminium Association.

Chris Homfray, president of Crown Europe, has been appointed as chairman. Former director of external environment affairs at Rexam and past president of Europen Anders Linde was appointed as MPE's executive director. "During the last two or three years our industry has faced an increasing number of hard and soft law packaging-related initiatives coming from national governments in Europe,' said Linde." "The issues raised are common to all of us and it has been necessary for the metal packaging sector to bring together expertise from the aluminium and steel producers as well as the can manufacturers." The four organizations will pool resources and further details on agreed priorities will be worked out over the coming weeks.