(06/10/2008) SOLVAY CEO CHRISTIAN JOURQUIN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF CEFIC

Embargo: October 6, 2008 at 8:30 AM (Brussels time) "The Chemical Industry: a Solution Provider" Solvay announces today that its CEO, Christian Jourquin, was elected to a two-year term as President of Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, by the trade association's General Assembly held in Athens on October 4. In his speech, the newly elected President highlighted that the coming years would be crucial for the European Chemical Industry, which will have to respond to unprecedented challenges and opportunities created by climate change. "The chemical industry must reinforce, and be seen to reinforce, its credentials as a responsible and sustainable actor at the heart of the fight against climate change," said Christian Jourquin to the members of the General Assembly. "If we are to demonstrate the benefits of the chemical industry's highly integrated nature and our role as an innovative solution provider, not only to climate change, but to all the challenges faced by mankind, then we can no longer neglect to highlight the vast and incredibly diverse range of products which would not exist without the chemical industry", stressed Jourquin. Cefic is the Brussels-based organization representing the European chemical industry. Cefic represents, directly or indirectly, about 27,000 large, medium and small chemical companies which employ about 1.22 million people and account for nearly a third of world chemical production. Cefic was incorporated in 1972 as an international association with scientific objectives. It is constantly reviewing its priorities, its structures and its ways of operating in order to adapt to new circumstances and challenges. (www.cefic.be) SOLVAY is an international chemical and pharmaceutical Group with headquarters in Brussels. It employs more then 28,000 people in 50 countries. In 2007, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 9.6 billion, generated by its three sectors of activity: Chemicals, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals. Solvay (NYSE Euronext : SOLB.BE - Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLBt.BR) is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock exchange in Brussels. Details are available at www.solvay.com. For more information, please contact: Erik De Leye, Corporate Press Officer SOLVAY S.A. T. + 32 2 509 72 30 erik.deleye@solvay.com www.solvaypress.com Patrick Verelst, Investor Relations SOLVAY S.A. T. +32 2 509 72 43 patrick.verelst@solvay.com www.solvay-investors.com Communiqué également disponible en français - Dit persbericht is ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar Copyright Hugin [CN#143958]