Geopolitical tensions, volatility in global energy markets, shifts in international supply chains and uneven global competition are reshaping the outlook for the manufacturing economy and creating the need for a new strategy for Europe’s plastics sector.
The Greek and European plastics industries are calling for urgent action, seeking policies that will strengthen competitiveness, reduce energy costs and ensure a level playing field to keep production and investment in Europe.
Industry representatives warn that the EU’s green transition risks being accompanied by further losses in industrial activity, with production potentially relocating outside Europe to third countries operating under different regulatory frameworks.
The issues will be at the centre of a conference organised by the Hellenic Plastics Industry Association (HPIA) in October 2026 under the title “Seeking a resilience strategy in an era of disruption.”
The conference will focus on the challenges threatening the sustainability of Europe’s plastics industry, strategies needed to maintain strong and resilient value chains, and proposals to improve recycling performance by increasing the availability of high-quality recycled materials and creating the conditions for a more efficient and sustainable resource management system.
Industry leaders said the development of a unified recycling and secondary raw materials recovery system across EU member states is essential to achieve economies of scale, reduce transport and processing costs, and strengthen European industry’s competitiveness against imports from China and other third countries.
Addressing successive crises — including the pandemic, the energy crisis, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and instability in the Middle East — Hellenic Plastics Industry Association President Panagiotis Gerontopoulos said the sector had demonstrated resilience but needed stronger support.
“Just as the materials we produce are characterised by flexibility and resilience, Greek industries have learned to operate under conditions of constant change, maintaining production, exports and the supply of critical sectors of the economy,” Gerontopoulos told reporters.
“Adaptability is almost part of the identity of the plastics industry,” he said, but warned that this ability was not unlimited.
“The competitiveness of Greek manufacturing cannot rely solely on companies’ ability to adapt to every new crisis. A stable business environment, meaningful measures to reduce energy costs and tangible support for manufacturing and recycling companies are needed,” he said, describing them as key pillars of Greek industry and the circular economy.
Για να εμφανίζονται περισσότερα άρθρα της Ναυτεμπορικής στις αναζητήσεις σας εύκολα και γρήγορα, πρέπει να προσθέσετε το site στις προτιμώμενες πηγές σας. Μπορείτε να το κάνετε πηγαίνοντας εδώ.
