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Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, Secretary General of Euroroc Gerd Merke,
Chairman Kurt Johansson, Vice-president Reijo Vauhkonen and managing
director of Finnish Natural Stone Association Pekka Jauhiainen.
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News and Events
[10-2007]
General Assembly
on the Verona fair
Saturday, 06/10/2007, 10.30 h,
Room Bellini (Service Center, between Pavilion 6 and 7, first floor)
[11-2006]
EUROROC meets EU-Council President Matti Vanhanen
Natural Stone as top issue in Europe accepted
How important Natural Stone is knows everybody in the European Stone
family. This is however not the case among the European decision makers.
Quite often Natural Stone finds itself in the debate with other raw
materials like uranium, metals or aggregates. This is a heavy burden
on stone industry as directives or recommendations from the European
Community or national, regional and communal bodies put heavy regulations
on the quarrying, processing and application of Natural Stone.
No wonder that the questioning of successful lobbying for Natural Stone
issues has been the subject on many occasions within and outside EUROROC.
The Finnish presidency of the European Union until December 31, 2006
was seen an unique chance to promote Natural Stone as Finland has traditionally
a positive and rational attitude towards raw materials. It took EUROROC
more than a year of preparation to inform and made aware the Finnish
administration to use its time to help to convince the other member
states that all issues of Natural Stone should be dealt with the necessary
approach.
These efforts had be paid off on Nov. 3rd, 2006 when the Finnish Primeminister,
Mr. Matti Vanhanen, welcomed a delegation of EUROROC with President
Mr. Kurt Johansson, Mr. Reijo Vauhkonen, Vice-President, Mr. Pekka Jauhiainen,
Managing director of the Finnish Natural Stone Association and Prof.
Dr. Gerd Merke, Secretary General. No doubt, everybody was proud as
EUROROC was the only European Industry federation that got to meet the
EU-President in the area of raw materials.
The delegation outlined the importance of Natural Stone for the European
culture and economy and handed a statement over to Primeminister Vanhanen
to underline the importance of stone industry. All relevant questions
from the opening of a quarry, processing and application problems up
to the necessity of qualified education had been discussed. The Primeminister
not only listened carefully to the concerns of our industry and asked
the right questions, but promised to pass on our subject to his member
colleagues on the EU Counsel. Mr. Vanhanen agreed that the permit procedure
for the opening of quarries should be limited to a foreseeable period
and everything should be done to make Natural Stone from Europe in and
outside Europe as competitive as possible. Artificial hindrances should
be removed.
The contact will be intensified on the working level. EUROROC is optimistic
to continue successful lobby work. This is the first step, others will
follow.
For further information please contact:
Gerd Merke, Secretary General,
Tel: + 49 611 97712 11
office[at]euroroc.net
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