The crisis of the glass industry in Europe

4.4.2016

Question for written answer E-002703-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Raffaele Fitto (ECR)

The glass industry is an important sector of the European economy.

The sector directly employs around 200 000 people, and is responsible for over 500 000 workers in ancillary industries.

In recent years the sector has been going through a period of crisis and has seen its share of the market reduce due to a series of factors: competition from non-EU countries, which often manifests in unfair trading practices, a shortage of public and private funding for research, the high cost of energy and transport and, indirectly, the ongoing crisis in closely linked sectors such as the car and construction sectors.

This situation is leading, especially in countries that have historically been leaders in the glass industry such as Italy, to the closure of big manufacturing plants. That of historical Italian business ‘Sangalli Vetro Manfredonia S.p.A.’, for example, whose industrial plan, despite the company receiving considerable public contributions, envisages the decommissioning of the site in Manfredonia and the lay-off of 200 workers along with those from ancillary industries.

In light of the above, can the Commission say what initiatives it intends to adopt for the glass sector, and if it intends to promote strategies aimed at tackling the main problems in the sector?