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UNION EUROPÉENNE DES PRODUCTEURS DE GRANULATS 

EUROPÄISCHER GESTEINSVERBAND 

EUROPEAN AGGREGATES ASSOCIATION

UEPGThe European Aggregates Association

European EconomicDevelopments inThe Aggregates Industry  

Jim O’Brien, Past-President

SNAP-SEE Conference, Bled, SloveniaOctober 23, 2014

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Europe  – Seven Long Years of Recession!

Production decreases of ~80% in “bail-out” countries! 

Will 2014 see the bottom of the cycle? What’s beyond? 

-40% -33%

-45%-30%

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Impacts of Recession & Consolidation

Swathes of cost-cutting

Layers removed in managementstructures, great people lost

Increasing globalisation ofcement, though aggregates, rmixand asphalt still very local

Relentless downward pressureson pricing, despite rising costs

New economic reality, will neverreturn to the “boom times”  

But the sun does rise again – forthe survivors!

-32%

-44%

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Europe  – Recent Political Developments

We now have a new European

Commission and Parliament The Euro is a great success,

survived the crisis!

10% (50m!) unemployed,hence pressing need to moveto growth policies

External Impacts – Ukraine &

Middle East - Energy Security

Still committed to theEuropean dream……..and (Ihope) to Jobs and Growth!

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Europe  – Climate and Energy Policies

Climate Change Strategy has

actually failed with Carbonprice ~ €5/tonne

EU “20-20-20” Targets havedistorted the EU energy market

Energy prices nowuncompetitive, particularlycompared to the US

Regulation of Energy Efficiencyhas been best success story

Politician must wake up to thereal needs of Europe, and stopdestroying its economy! 

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Campaigning for Access to Resources

 Access to Resources is becomingacute in many European Countries

Highest-level lobbying/politicalcampaigns since 2007 – a success

Led to Raw Materials Initiative in2010, followed by Raw MaterialsStrategy in 2012, now part of theResource Efficiency Strategy 2020

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The Widely-Varied Geology of Europe

Geology is widely-

varied and complex Scandinavia is

resource-rich, whileNetherlands to Poland

and parts of CentralEurope resource-poor,other areas mixed

SEE Region has goodaggregates resources

NIMBYs everywhere!

So access to resourcesis a big challenge…. 

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Many Countries now have 20-year Minerals Plans

These include F, UK, D, A, NL, DK, N, S, SF, E, P, GR…… 

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Recycled Aggregates can

be an important part ofaggregates supply

However recycling is ofteneconomic only in urban

areas

Recycling requires goodquality control toovercome market

resistance

Primary aggregates arestill needed!

 A word on Recycled Aggregates

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Access to Resources  – Focus on Recycling

Some 35% of all C&D materialsare recycled – target is 70%+

That would mean max 10-15% ofEU demand supplied by recycling

Best incentivised by building

regulations – NOT taxes!

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9.1

16.616.2

11.9

8.7

6.4

7.0

8.2

7.6

4.3

6.9

4.1

2.8

5.6

5.0

4.7

8.5

3.7

5.0

1.9

0.9

5.7

6.4

3.1

3.2

3.1

3.2

3.9

4.4

4.1

2.3

2.4

• National 2012 

productiontonnes/capitaacross Europe… 

• Include exports

(mainly N) andexclude imports(mainly NL)

• These vary byclimate, stateof economies,buildingtraditions… 

8.4

6.0

3.6

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Estimated SEE Region Tonnages

mt pop (m) t/c

Albania 10 3.2 3.1

Bosnia - Herz 12 3.8 3.2

Bulgaria 29 7.6 3.8

Croatia 13 4.4 3.0

Greece 25 11.3 2.2Hungary 36 10.0 3.6

Mac (FYROM) 6 2.0 3.0

Montenegro 2 0.6 3.3

Romania 96 22.0 4.4

Serbia 17 7.3 2.3

Slovakia 23 5.4 4.3

Slovenia 9 2.0 4.5

Totals 278 79.6 3.5

•  Around 280mt of

aggregates producedin the SEE Region

• Which, for a population

of just on 80m, givesan average productionof 3.5 tonnes/capita

• Likely to grow to 5t/c

by 2020, hence predictover 400mt aggregatesdemand…….. 

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There is a broad long-

term relationshipbetween GDP/capitaand tonnes/capita

More aggregates

needed as an economygrows!

 Aggregates areessential to economicgrowth!

Strong message for theaggregates industry inSEE – the future isbright!

CCAA

OSSGAAQA

ASPASAANEPAC

CAA

Aggregates Demand & Economic Growth

SNAP-SEE

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Legal Quarrying

Responsible Safe

Compliant with Permits

Pays Taxes

Long Term Employer

Good Operations

Biodiversity & Restoration

Quality Products

Good Community Relations

Supports IndustryInitiatives & Association 

Legal versus Illegal Quarrying

Illegal Quarrying

Irresponsible Unsafe

Non-compliant with Permits

Does not pay Taxes

Temporary Employer

Poor Operations

No Biodiversity or

Restoration Poor Quality Products

Bad Community Relations

 “Cowboys”  

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Comparing Maps - UEPG & SNAP-SEE

UEPG created in 1987

Brussels Office since 2003

Now 30 Member Countries

Represents Industry with:

2.7 billion tonnes ofaggregates per year

25,000 quarries & pits

15,000 companies

238,000 employed(including contractors)

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SNAP-SEE Project has been highly

successful Has developed wonderful friendships

across the region

Don’t stop now!

We must deepen cooperation , inparticular with the AggregatesIndustry

UEPG Members (and futuremembers) can be the driver ofactually implementing SNAP-SEE!

Let’s work forward together! 

Conclusion – Let’s Build Further Cooperation! 

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UNION EUROPÉENNE DES PRODUCTEURS DE GRANULATS 

EUROPÄISCHER GESTEINSVERBAND 

EUROPEAN AGGREGATES ASSOCIATION

UEPGThe European Aggregates Association

Thanks for your Attention!  

Jim O’Brien, Past-President

SNAP-SEE Conference, Bled, Slovenia

October 23, 2014