A day before the 9th ECRN Congress, the ECRN Executive Board convened in Leuna (Germany) to review and discuss the ongoing and upcoming activities of the network. The Director of the ECRN Secretariat in Brussels, Dr. Hanny Nover, presented the current activities of the network and initiatives of thematic working groups and laid out proposals for further activities.

The Executive Board was pleased to hear that the exchange of experiences between member regions has been translated to concrete actions, such as a pilot project on energy efficiency that engages local SMEs, and welcomed the proposals for further collaboration e.g. in the context of REACH Review, education, and skills development. The Executive Board also adopted a Congress Declaration for the 9th ECRN Congress (held in Halle on 27 October 2011) and emphasized the importance of collaboration in supporting the development and growth of the chemical regions. They also urged all member regions to take the key messages of the declaration and apply them in their respective regional activities.