BELGIUM

Employers and Unions Unite to Condemn Emission Trading Scheme
The European Commission’s proposals to toughen the emission trading scheme (ETS) in the European Union (EU) from 2013 will increase total operating costs for EU chemical companies by 10%-35%, employers’ federation the European Chemical Employers...

Europe’s ‘Paraffin Mafia’ Is Punished
The European Commission has fined nine companies a combined €676 million ($974 million) for conspiring to fix prices of paraffin wax between 1992 and 2005. Sasol, Total, and ExxonMobil received the highest fines of €318.2 million...

Total Commissions MTO Pilot Plant
Total Petrochemicals has inaugurated a €45-million ($65 million) pilot plant at Feluy, Belgium that will demonstrate novel technologies to produce olefins and polyolefins from methanol. The plant uses the UOP-Hydro...

EFCG Proposes Certification for Pharma Excipients
The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG; Brussels) and the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of Europe (IPEC Europe; Brussels) say they have developed a proposal for a certification scheme for pharmaceutical excipients. “If you want safe...

EU Adopts Mercury Export Ban
The European Environment Council, composed of environment ministers from European Union (EU) states, has adopted legislation banning exports of mercury...

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