The CEPE welcomed some 150 company representatives from the European paint and surface coatings industry to the Cote d'Azur in France, where it held its first annual conference and annual general meeting since restructuring. The small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) came to Nice with one goal in mind: they were hoping that the CEPE would help to provide some direction in regard to their chances and prospects in the European paint and surface coatings market.
The SME representatives, in particular, had one pressing issue: What could the CEPE do for them in a market that is increasingly shaped by progressive concentration? What measures could the small paint and coatings manufacturers take to avoid being swept away by wave after wave of takeovers? The SMEs were agitating for a stronger lobby to represent their interests and, among other things, were hopeful that direct membership of all national associations' members in CEPE would mean they could meet even more SMEs at the annual event in the coming year.