Germany's glassmakers have seen 3 years of recession, but are hoping that 2005 will see an upswing. During 2004 volumes & turnover continued to decline, & hollow glassmakers shut lines. Schott stopped making tableware in the country & there are further proposals to cut container glass for 2005. Problems have included falling prices for glass as a raw material; low demand for high quality consumer glass; & a slump on domestic sales. Only mineral wool saw an output increase in 2003. The industry expects to see the start of a sustained upswing in 2005, but is concerned about the potential affects of new legislation. In particular, CO2 emissions trading, renewable energies, & road tolls for heavy lorries. This is compounded by special structural influences such as the negative impact of the statutory deposit on one-way beverage packaging.
