On the occasion of EPF’s Annual General Meeting in Porto on 29 & 30 June 2017 and in the presence of Dr Paolo Fantoni, Chairman of EPF, and Mr Rui Correia, CEO of host company Sonae Arauco, Mr Clive Pinnington, EPF Managing Director, presented an economic review of the wood-based panels industry in 2016. Figures were drawn from the recently published EPF Annual Report 2016/2017, an extensive compilation of industry statistics collected by the federation.
In 2016, the total production of European wood-based panels increased by 1.8%, reaching a total of 55.6 million m³. Particleboard production increased by 0.8% to 30.2 million m³. Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) also grew, recording an increase of 2.0% to a total of 12 million m³. Oriented Strand Board (OSB), the third largest panel type by volume, rose strongly by 6.9% to 5.4 million m³. Second only to OSB in terms of growth rate was Softboard, which increased by 4% to 4.6 million m³. Plywood production in Europe developed positively with a 2.5% increase to 2.9 million m³.
The only panel type that did not increase in production terms during 2016 was Hardboard which dropped 5.6% to 0.5 million m³.
Production (million m³) |
Countries |
2016 |
2015 |
2016 vs 2015 |
Particleboard |
EU28+EFTA |
30.2 |
30.0 |
0.8% |
MDF |
EU28+EFTA |
12.0 |
11.8 |
2.0% |
OSB |
EU28+EFTA |
5.4 |
5.0 |
6.9% |
Hardboard |
EU28+EFTA |
0.5 |
0.6 |
-5.6% |
Softboard |
EU28+EFTA |
4.6 |
4.4 |
4.0% |
Plywood |
EU28+CH |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.5% |
TOTAL |
Total |
55.6 |
54.6 |
1.8% |
Re-election of the Chairman and of the Managing Board
In a closed session of its Annual General Meeting, the General Assembly of the European Panel Federation unanimously re-elected its Chairman, Dr Paolo Fantoni for a second two-year term from 2017-2019. All members of the Managing Board were also re-elected and it is thus composed as below:
Managing Board |
Company |
Dr Paolo Fantoni (Chairman) |
Fantoni SPA |
Mr Bernard Thiers (Vice Chairman) |
Unilin Group |
Mr Rui Correia |
Sonae Arauco |
Mr Guillermo Hernanz |
Garnica Plywood |
Mr Andrew Macdonald |
Medite Smartply |
Mr Bernard Retureau |
Egger Group |
Mr Stefano Saviola |
Gruppo Mauro Saviola |
Mr Heiko Seibert |
Steico SE |
Dr Erlfried Taurer |
Constantia Industries – FunderMax |
Mr Max von Tippelskirch |
Swiss Krono Group |
Mr Stefan Zinn |
Pfleiderer Holzwerkstoffe GmbH |
Mr Clive Pinnington |
EPF |
Mr Kris Wijnendaele |
EPF |
Objectives 2017 – 2019
The EPF General Assembly endorsed 5 priority areas to be added to the existing 5 cornerstone projects, to give a set of 10 objectives for the federation. A short summary of each is as follows:
1. E1 Compulsory – A desire to seek legislation in the EU-28 that endorses E1 as the minimum acceptable standard for panels and panel based products made, traded and imported into Europe.
2. New Standard – A project to define a single low emission standard to arrest the proliferation of different limit levels around the World and to facilitate trade.
3. Image – To profile the wood-based panels industry as a leader in Europe’s drive towards a circular economy and resource efficiency, especially focusing on the Cascade Use of Wood and its benefits.
4. Construction – To increase the use of wood-based panels in construction, thereby growing the market whilst helping to mitigate climate change thanks to wood’s carbon storage qualities.
5. Africa – To share European experience of the production, certification and marketing of wood-based panels with the leaders of this growing market, thereby becoming a future reference point.
6. Communications – To develop a new communications model, including a new website, to bring EPF’s messages and activities to members, internal and external stakeholders, and to the general public.
7. Certification – To add the voice of EPF members to the call for wood to come from certified and sustainable sources, with no associated unnecessary bureaucracy and cost.
8. Biomass – Existing industries to be safeguarded via a level playing field, free from market distortions, allowing the Circular Economy and Renewable Energy Directive to work in harmony.
9. Federations – EPF to maintain and increase its valuable profile towards EU and national institutions working with members, related wood-working industry federations and NGOs.
10. Safe Finances – to achieve all of the above within a balanced budget, ensuring the member contributions and additional income cover expenses.
About EPF
The European Panel Federation, EPF, has members in 25 countries and represents the manufacturers of particleboard, MDF, OSB, hardboard, softboard and plywood. The European wood-based panel industry has an annual turnover of about 22 billion Euros, creates over 100,000 jobs directly and counts more than 5,000 enterprises in Europe.