BRUSSELS, June 26, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- During an inaugural meeting in Athens, June 8-10, the leading producers of chewing gum from around the world launched the International Chewing Gum Association (ICGA). Stefan Pfander, Vice President of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, has been elected first President of the ICGA. "Our objective is to speak with one global voice and to seek harmonization of regulations between countries and continents," Mr. Pfander declared during the meeting.
Jean Savigny, Senior Partner in Brussels office of the law firm Keller & Heckman, will support Pfander and the Board as General Counsel to the ICGA. The Board of the ICGA is made up of top executives from Cadbury, Gumlink, Intergum, Leaf International, Lotte, Perfetti Van Melle and Wrigley. The ICGA will reside in Brussels.
The ICGA represents the chewing gum industry worldwide and is open to chewing gum manufacturers and their suppliers. The members of the ICGA account for more than 80 percent of the global revenues in the chewing gum segment.