What is the European Packaging Institutes Consortium? The European Packaging Institutes Consortium EPIC is the project-organisation of the national packaging institutes of Europe that cooperate on behalf of their members, from retailers to raw material manufacturers. EPIC stimulates the packaging of products creating added value in the European economy in a sustainable and responsible manner. EPIC focuses on education, innovation and the transfer of information on the creation of packaged products. Pan-European cooperation in packaging education and information services was boosted on April 26th 2002 with the formal start of the European Packaging Institutes Consortium (EPIC). EPIC is a consortium where European packaging institutes come together on behalf of their members to identify areas where regional or pan-European cooperation might best be initiated or concentrated for the future development of the entire packaging chain in a sustainable manner. EPIC will achieve this by examining and/or developing specific projects involving coordinated and market oriented: Educational programmes European qualifications for packaging professionals Instruments for the promotion and facilitation of packaging innovation Methods for the optimal implementation and enforcement of packaging-related legislation Who are the EPIC members? EPIC was founded by 12 European Packaging Institutes. In total, these institutes cover around 2200 associated companies (both packaging suppliers as well as packer/fillers) and approximately 22.000 professional individuals in packaging throughout Europe. Every institute has a long national tradition as vibrant meeting point for all individuals and companies involved in responsible packaging. Key-factors are objectivity, responsibility and innovativeness in fulfilling their role. As associations, openness towards their members and society as a whole is also essential. How does EPIC work? EPIC works in a project-oriented manner, without an additional EPIC-office. In this EPIC-vision, the national institutes will continue to be the prime contact for national as well as European packaging matters. Once every six months plenary meetings take place. The secretariat is based at the Netherlands Packaging Centre and chairman is Mr. Marco Sachet, managing director of Istituto Italiano Imballaggio.