About ECVM
A part of Plastics Europe
ECVM is a division of Plastics Europe, the trade association representing the plastic manufacturers in Europe. A founding member of VinylPlus®, ECVM is committed to sustainable development, and to address and promote health safety and environmental best practices over the PVC life cycle.
Our team
Charlotte Röber
Managing Director
Charlotte is managing ECVM and VinylPlus since January 2024. She has been working for the PVC industry for a decade, previously representing the interest of the PVC window profile industry towards policy-makers, standardization bodies and other sectors. Her functional experience includes the sustainability assessment of construction products, standardization activities, chemical and waste legislation and corresponding advocacy actions. Charlotte Röber completed her Masters in European and International Law at the University of Maastricht. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Vlerick Business School in Ghent.
Gaetane Bellefroid
Senior Assistant
Gaetane has worked for ECVM/VinylPlus for over 30 years in many different roles. She is currently Senior Assistant, where her tasks involve providing organisational support to the ECVM and VinylPlus Committees and Task Forces. She deals with general administration tasks and travel/meetings organisation for the ECVM/VinylPlus team. She is also in charge of the office management.
Laurine Biver
Executive Assistant
Laurine works as an Executive Assistant, where she provides support to the ECVM and VinylPlus Boards, Committees, and Task Forces. She also assists the Managing Director across various activities and projects. Additionally, she is a part of the VinylPlus Progress Report team and is responsible for organizing meetings and conferences for the ECVM platforms and the annual VinylPlus Sustainability Forum. Laurine holds a master's degree in Cultural Management and Communications from the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
Stéphane Content
Senior Technical Advocacy Manager
Stéphane has joined the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) in December 2021, where he is in charge of the Environmental Footprint Committee.
Previously, Stéphane worked in Cefic (2011-2021) and supported the Silicones sector group and the Plasticisers sector group. He was also a manager of Product Stewardship working on communication in the value chain. He also worked for 11 years at Procter & Gamble (2000-2011) in analytical, product design and process development department for liquid detergent development. Stéphane is graduated in Chemistry and got his PhD in the field of photochemistry in 1998 from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He also did a post doctoral stay at UCSD in the field of sensors (1998-2000).
Sarah Debbiche Krichen
Public Affairs Senior Manager
Sarah joined VinylPlus as Public Affairs Senior Manager in January 2023. She is an experienced public affairs and communications professional with ten years of experience. Sarah started her career at the European Small Business Alliance in Brussels and then moved to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, working as Administrative Assistant for the Board and the EU Relation's Team. Eventually, she came back to Brussels and became the Public Affairs Manager for the campaigning association Fire Safety Europe. More recently, Sarah worked at BCW as Director in the Sustainability practice. She gained over the years a deep and comprehensive expertise on chemicals regulation, construction products regulation, as well as on larger sustainability issues.
Sylvie Famelart
Senior Communications Manager
Sylvie joined the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) in August 2016.
She is in charge of communications for ECVM and VinylPlus.
Early in her career she worked for a Japanese company Asahi Chemical before moving to the world of associations, first for the metals industry (Eurométaux) and then for the chemical industry (the European Chemical Industry Council – Cefic), to work in communications.
Sylvie holds a master in translation (French, English, Spanish) from the International School of Interpreters (E.I.I.) from Mons University, Belgium.
Magdalena Garczynska
Technical Project Manager
Magdalena has joined ECVM in April 2021.
Prior to that, she worked for the European Aluminium Association, where she worked on the environmental and circular economy policies. She has also experience in public affairs of the machine tools sector. Her professional experience included 3rd party quality control audits.
Magdalena holds a PostGraduate diploma focused on Turbomachinery from The von Karman Institute of Fluid Dynamics in Belgium, and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Poznan, Poland.
Carolina Quaranta
Communications Manager
Carolina joined ECVM in May 2021, where she supports the communication activities of the association and of VinylPlus, after some years working in the Directorate General for Communication at the European Commission. Prior to that, she was a Schuman Trainee at the European Parliament in Luxembourg; she has experience in communication for the private sector, and in journalism.
She holds a master’s in Public and Political Communication from the University of Turin, Italy
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Vincent Stone
Technical and Environmental Affairs Senior Manager
Vincent has joined the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) in 2018, where he is in charge to develop the activities around the ECVM application platforms (PVC4Pipes, PVCMed, PVC4Cables), and is actively involved in the certification and medical recycling activities of VinylPlus.
Previously, Vincent worked at the Ferro’s Polymer Additives business, where he led the customer and manufacturing support activities; prior to that, he was developed and managed a portfolio of pipe coating technology development in ArcelorMittal. He joined UCB Group (later Allnex) in 1998, where he led several resin and additive development projects for coatings, inks, and adhesives applications.
Vincent graduated in 1991 in Plastics Engineering at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, where he also earned a PhD. He later earned a part-time MBA degree from the Solvay Brussels School Economics & Management.
Value chain platforms and European-wide PVC network
ECVM organises three value chain platforms, each dedicated to communicate about the use of PVC in key application areas: PVCMed Alliance for PVC in healthcare, PVC4Pipes for PVC in piping systems and PVC4Cables for PVC in cables.
Besides these platforms, ECVM also organises the European PVC network. The PVC Network is a network of national organisations providing information to people interested in PVC issues. The PVC Network has been operating for over 20 years, providing information, organising events, responding to issues and building relationships in each of their countries.
Our mission
Our mission of the European PVC industry, shared by ECVM can be symbolically summarised in the following six words:
"We create possibilities for sustainable living"
We create possibilities...
These first three words reflect our industry’s understanding that today’s complex and evolving society constantly needs to make choices about its future. With ever increasing demands and ever diminishing resources, choices are challenging because sometimes it can be difficult to be certain of the outcomes and balanced decisions have to be made. But our industry recognises that by not taking these decisions we may narrow all of our options for tomorrow. So we strive to maintain society’s ability to choose by creating new possibilities and maintaining the choices that are essential for our future.
...for sustainable living
The second three words in this mission statement represent, far more than just an appreciation of environmental issues. They represent a belief in the long term. That our industry understands that it cannot compromise tomorrow by what it does today. This is the lens through which we see relationships with all of our stakeholders. The PVC industry believes that sustainability can only be achieved by operating with a holistic perspective, always looking at the bigger picture. The tagline we use: ‘Making possibilities together’, encapsulates how our industry seeks to work by engaging with all of our stakeholders for mutual long-term benefit.
Our values
The following four values characterise how we try to go about our work:
1. Forward Thinking
We try to use our collective strength to continually to push boundaries and break new ground.
2. Reliable
We always try to be dependable. We create a sense of confidence with our partners that helps everyone to make the right decisions.
3. Responsible
We don’t hesitate to make firm promises and understand that we are expected to deliver on these.
4. Cooperative
We are respectful of others, we try to listen and adapt to their needs, so that we can combine forces and develop strong partnerships.
Committed to sustainable development
The European PVC industry has embraced its social responsibility and has been working hard since the late 90s to ensure that the challenge of sustainable development is taken seriously. In the past decade, the industry has made great progress in waste management, innovative recycling technologies, stakeholder engagement and responsible use of additives. This commitment is encapsulated in VinylPlus, the voluntary commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, of which ECVM is a founding member.
The role of ECVM
In common with the rest of the chemical industry, ECVM is working hard to reduce any effects on the environment caused by the activities of the PVC industry through the 'Responsible Care' policy of the whole chemical sector.
It works actively with its members and sister trade associations representing additive manufacturers, machinery manufacturers and plastic product producers, to ensure the highest production standards are observed and that the whole industry is working to ensure the sustainable development of PVC as a material.
Since many years, ECVM members have made substantial investments to maintain or achieve the challenging emission standards set out for VCM and PVC production in the ECVM Industry Charter, and ECVM is a key player in VinylPlus, the voluntary commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry.