Sharp rise in price volatility since 2015 / Market turmoil batters traditional trade structures / New Chinese capacities loom / Europe's importance shrinks

Ineos loses Scottish fracking challenge / Horizon in England, US brighter

Moderate growth worldwide / Forecast of 10% capacity increase in Europe by 2022 / nova-Institut report

BASF declares force majeure for entire product chain

SM-purchasing firms suspected of violating EU antitrust rules / European Commission confirms unannounced inspections in several countries

Consumer awareness advancing significantly / Global revenues could grow by more than 5% over next three years / US Plastics Industry Association report

Brazil's industry turnover in 2017 grows for first time in three years / Demand from transportation and infrastructure sectors

Scotland to seek formal ban on fracking / Reaction to Ineos court challenge / Chemical producer in separate appeal against pollution controls

EPS consumption rising slightly / Higher demand from packaging sector

PET: JBF declares force majeure in Belgium

PlasticsEurope Deutschland looks back on a successful 2017 / Michael Zobel succeeds Josef Ertl as chair

Global consolidation gathers speed after many years of overcapacities / Margins already on the up / Switch to more virgin material in China as "collateral damage" from new recycling policy

New investments to build up local petrochemicals facilities / Extensive efforts to reduce plastics imports dependency

Environmental group can intervene in Ineos' challenge to Scottish fracking ban / Friends of the Earth to address climate change / Hearing begins on 8 May

Development centre in Singapore commences operations / Several German partners