According to the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), EU chemical production will increase 2.0% in both 2008 and 2009, following 2007 growth of 2.1%. Production of six subsectors (pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, consumer chemicals, chemicals, basic inorganics and specialty chemicals) is set to either remain the same or increase in 2009, excluding polymers, for which output is expected to decline 0.5% to 1.0%. Production of basic inorganics and specialty chemicals will undergo the most sizeable growth increases in 2009, rising from 1.2% to 1.8% and from 0.6% to 1.0%, respectively. For pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the growth of output in 2009 is predicted to remain the same as the 2008 rates of 3.5% and 2.0%, respectively. Output for chemicals and consumer chemicals is expected to increase from 1.4% to 1.5% and 1.8% to 2.0%, , respectively, from 2008 to 2009.

Source: Cefic