34 | Conference Report: European Panel Federation
addressed the conference via video link, highlighting that the panels industry was essential to building a sustainable and resilient EU bioeconomy. She said an updated EU Bioeconomy
Strategy is expected by end of 2025 with the aim to untap the potential of bio-based materials by scaling up skills, infrastructures and supportive markets. Her presentation also pointed to the Circularity: The Circular Economy Act expected in 2026. With only 12% of materials reused in the EU, she said the Commission was looking at transformative changes to keep materials in value chains longer.
Ms Hack took on board the industry’s
concerns regarding competitiveness and simplification – that regulation must not be burdensome while maintaining EU standards and cutting unnecessary complexity.
Marcus Kirschner, managing director
of the Federal Association for Wooden Packaging, Pallets and Export Packaging in Germany, showed how the association had successfully lobbied policymakers with creative and compelling storytelling backed up by industry stats. “We have to show them why the
industry is important, because without us nothing would work,” Mr Kirschner added – emphasising how key goods relied on wooden pallets and packaging to transport them to their destinations. EPF technical director Kris Wijnendaele demonstrated to members the EPF’s new Strategic Wood Availability policy paper which charts “The growing gap between strategic need and ecological reality.” (For more on this see pp42-43.) The EPF’s advocacy work also involves
lobbying on the EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), with the EPF sending a joint letter on EUDR simplification in May, as well as a statement on EUDR country benchmarking in June, with active lobbying taking place to gain support in the European Council, Parliament and from stakeholders. Mr Wijnendaele said the EPF sympathised with the idea behind the regulation but in its current format it “did not work”. The decision of the European Chemicals
Agency to list melamine as a Substance of Very High Concern under the REACH regulation was highlighted by Mr Wijnendaele. Melamine is an important chemical used in wood-based panels. He said the regulation moves are mainly aimed at direct use of melamine in other sectors and would not likely affect the use of resins in panels. This year’s EPF dinner, which preceded
Above: The Berlin Natural History Museum was the stunning setting for the EPF Annual Dinner WBPI | August/September 2025 |
www.wbpionline.com
the conference, was held at the Berlin Natural History Museum, with Surteco as main sponsor. ●
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
