In his foreword, Executive Director Alistair Steel asks what can be done to enable the European Chlor Alkali In­dustry to compete in the international field and prevent an erosion of market share.

"The question is not a trivial one", Steel underlines, "Are we a fundamentally well run, cost efficient industry who needs to be nurtured or are we unable to repel the un­deniably strong competition from other parts of the world dooming us to a slow and painful demise?"

And the Executive Director continues: "The current work to win state aid compensa­tion to offset carbon dioxide emission costs for intensive energy consumers is crucial in
the drive for competitiveness. The European economy needs in­dustries like ours able to provide employment, pay taxes, and to provide the chemical building blocks for other manufacturing industries".

Hand in glove with competitiveness is sus­tainability, an area where Euro Chlor has much to be proud of. Its first 10 year sustainability programme achieved notable successes with increased energy efficiency, mercury emission reduction and the increased use of hydrogen. The second 10 year initiative on the journey towards the goal of industrial immortality is now launched. The Federation has taken the opportunity to broaden its approach to include aspects of economic and social factors.

In the first chapter the Review presents details on the progress made in the Euro Chlor Sustainability Programme, launched in 2001. This programme monitored fourteen performance indicators and sets improvement goals for them.

The other chapters give an overview of the main dossiers and issues Euro Chlor recently has been dealing with in the fields of Regulatory Affairs, Science and Communication & Education.

Finally, the Review shows the latest figures on chlorine and caustic production and uses, as well as the most important data on the European chlorine producing member companies.

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Further information: eurochlor [at] cefic.be