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ITALY
AIRP General Assembly Highlights Positive Opportunities for the Retreading Sector
The 57th General Assembly of the Italian Retreaders Association AIRP was held on 4-5 October at Hotel The Hive in Rome. Attended by around 40 retreaders and suppliers, the meeting was characterised by an
being filled in no small degree by the major tyre manufacturers’ second and third-line brands and to a lesser extended by the retreading sector. Despite expressing satisfaction with the growth, however, Carloni was
by the increased importance of the concept of the circular economy, an area in which AIRP has been particularly active.
Earlier this year, the Association, in conjunction with ICOM (Istituto per la competitivita) produced an in- depth report entitled Circular Economy at Work: il caso studio deglie pneumatici ricostruiti in Italia. Presented by author Franco D’Amore at the “Future of Retreading Conference” at Autopromotec in May and again at a special event held in Rome at the end of September, the report highlights the importance of the retreading industry’s role in the
circular economy will have. Transforming part of the European Investment Bank into a European climate bank means having a clear idea that it will really be about entering a new era. In order to succeed, many different assumptions will be needed: awareness, foresight, international cooperation, and a close collaboration between the public sector and the private sector.” With regards to other topics, Carloni announced that AIRP had initiated a statistical project carried out by the Association’s technical commission aimed at creating a database related to the retreadability of casings. He also called for a more vigorous
AIRP President Stefano Carloni
A speaker’s eye view of the Assembly
atmosphere of positivity and new opportunities, coming as it did at the end of a year of growth for the Italian retreading sector.
In his introductory presentation, Association President Stefano Carloni drew reference to the fact that the industry has seen a return to growth since the second quarter of 2018 and is currently showing 3.1% growth in the truck retread
cautious about the potential for further retread growth, due to the lack of availability of suitable casings in the market; a trend which he put down to “one of the collateral damages of the Asian dumping, which first of all filled our roads with low quality tyres, and secondly triggered a race to the bottom that has overwhelmed and shocked the whole chain; a fall in the price, in
AIRP’s Renzo Servadei
sector for the first half of 2019. “These are not double-digit increases,” he admitted, “but we must at least acknowledge that there has been an inversion.”
In the six months following the introduction of duties, there was an 81% drop in imports from China, pointed out Carloni, with this space
the quality, in the service and in the value, which over the years has really spoiled the sector.”
Although Carloni feels that it will require a cultural shift to eradicate the habit of chasing commercial shortcuts, he also pointed out that the retreading industry does have a key alternative opportunity provided
“Public funding, necessary but not sufficient, must be accompanied by an action to stimulate private investment, placing green and sustainable finance at the centre of the investment chain and the financial system through the presentation of a strategy for green finance and an investment plan for sustainable Europe, and the transformation of a part of the European Investment Bank (EIB) into a genuine European Climate Bank.”
“In this proposal,” said Carloni, “I see a very significant indication of the scope that the transition to the
a
circular economy, allowing AIRP to call on legislators to show a more urgent, concrete and effective commitment to the sector.
Carloni expressed himself to be optimistic in this regard due to the so-called Circular Economy Package” approved in May 2018 by the European Council and by the approach of the new president-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen whom he quoted:
imposition of the 20% reserve for retreaders among public transport fleets, an increase in the reserve and the introduction of sanctioning instruments for fleets which do not respect the reserve. This, said Carloni, “would be a zero-cost measure for the treasury, a measure that indeed could exploit the favour given by the current moment of great attention of the public opinion towards environmental issues.”
In additional to Carloni’s speech presentations were given to members by Treasurer Maurizio Gessati and Association Director Renzo Servadei. Further presentations were provided by Brenno Benaglia, who reported on AIRP relations with BIPAVER, Guido Gambassi, who outlined the contents of the previously mentioned AIRP/ICOM report, and Retreading Business Publisher David Wilson, who outlined proposals for an extended cooperation between the magazine and AIRP in relation to Autopromotec, details of which will be released shortly.
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