Innovative and sustainable forest-based industries in the EU

The European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, CEI-Bois, welcomes the adoption, by the European Commission, of a 19-point plan to address the challenges facing forest-based industries, on the basis of its Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on innovative and sustainable forest-based industries in the EU published on 27 February 2008.

Constituting a major part of the EU forest-based industries, the woodworking and furniture sector accounts for a production value of about € 230 billion/annum, securing jobs and wellbeing for a big part of Europe’s population. For several years already, CEI-Bois has been launching activities aiming at securing a future for its industries within Europe, especially within the context of its Roadmap 2010 action and climate change policies.

Therefore, CEI-Bois is pleased to note that, in its communication and subsequent action plan proposals, the European Commission draws particular attention to:

• The need of securing access to its basic raw material: wood, pointing not only to the need for recycling but, more importantly, to a sustainable supply to industry also within the context of the recently presented energy policy;
• The carbon storage by wood products and the positive contribution these can deliver to limitate the effects of climate change, e.g. by stating that “.. wood products provide additional storage for the carbon removed by forests and increased (…) recycling (…) prolongs the capacity of wood products to retain carbon” and “carbon storage in harvested wood products can extend the carbon sequestration benefits provided by forests”;
• The need for afforestation and wood mobilisation measures;
• The role that can be played by wood products in the context of public procurement policies;
• The requirements in the field of R&D and education and training;
• A fair trade in wood and wood products;
• The need to improve information, to both professionals and consumers, on the forest-based industries, forest products and the characteristics of wood as a renewable and climate-friendly raw material.

CEI-Bois is committed to continue working together with the services of the European Commission and other interested parties in implementing the various actions proposed.

CEI-Bois, the European Confederation of woodworking industries, was founded in 1952 and represents the interests of the European woodworking industry, which includes more than 100,000 companies employing around 2.7 million workers in EU25. The primary goal of CEI-Bois is to further the interests of the European wood sector and to this end, it aims to influence EU policy-making. It is the main body representing and defending the interests of the European woodworking and furniture industries towards the European Union.