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The EU has today released a report related to a Trade Barrier Regulation ("TBR") investigation launched following a complaint submitted by CEPI, the European association representing the paper industry. The report upheld the complaint finding that the measures imposed by Turkey on the imports of certain varieties of paper such as office paper, books, envelopes and paper used for direct mail marketing (otherwise known as uncoated wood free (“UWF”) paper) from the EU were inconsistent with both WTO and the EU–Turkey Customs Union rules.

cepilogo“CEPI takes pride in its strong commitment to free trade with its partners. The decision by the Turkish authorities to remove these unfair measures is applaudable; however this issue should never have been escalated in the first place. It is our expectation that the Turkish authorities stand by their obligations under the EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement in the future” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General at CEPI.

In advance of the Commission’s publication of the report Turkey pre-emptively removed the unfair trade measures. With this in mind, the EU has decided not to pursue the matter further. The industry will however remain vigilant that similar measures do not hinder the free flow of trade between the EU and Turkey in the future, particularly in light of the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement.

Background to the trade complaint:

Following an inconclusive safeguard investigation on UWF imports in 2014-2015, Turkey extended in 2016 an existing import licensing system which targeted €150 million of EU exports of UWF paper products.The Turkish non-automatic import licensing system with regard to UWF paper was based on an arbitrary price threshold and created a significant and unfair obstacle to EU-Turkey trade. The contested system posed a clear violation of WTO and the EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement. The European paper industry already exports 22% of its produce outside the EU and will continue to remain an advocate for free trade and take a firm stance where this is put at risk.

For more information, please contact Bernard Lombard, Industrial Policy Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (+32) 2 627 49 22

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The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) informed the European Commission on 13 November of its intention to take over the PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) prepared under a larger EU pilot on environmental footprints.

cepi logo“The PEFCR project promised to deliver a clear, simplified and workable method for environmental footprinting that our value chain could effectively use and rely upon.  After more than four year’s work, the European Commission body in charge of the project is far from this objective. CEPI will now take the necessary measures to conclude the project and design a tool that is meaningful for business and workable for SMEs,” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General at CEPI.

Initiated in 2013, the Intermediate Paper Pilot was meant to deliver a methodology for environmental footprinting of intermediate paper in a clear and workable format for all users. It was considered, at that time, that the workability of future PEF rules was imperative for the paper value chain, particularly SMEs. Led by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, however, the project has since been turned into an overly academic tool and the process continuously delayed. 

The industry recognises the value of establishing a reference tool for communicating the environmental performance of paper products to customers and consumers. The industry has therefore decided to take back the lead from the European Commission and revise the PEFCR. In order to do so, CEPI has outlined a number of key steps in a letter sent to the Commission’s environment department here. The process would lead to developing free software for calculating the environmental footprint of intermediate paper, which could be extended by the printing and paper converting associations to a tool for final paper products. CEPI believes these steps are achievable over the 2018 – 2019 period.

CEPI is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, pulp, cardboard, tissue and other bio-based products. CEPI represents 22% of world production, €81 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs over 175,000 people. 

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In the background of increasingly uncertain global markets, European production of paper and board demonstrated resilience in 2016. This not only continues the trend of recent years but exceeds the performance of other key paper-producing regions including the United States and Canada.

cepi logoEuropean consumption of paper and board has exhibited a rise for the third consecutive year, growing by 0.3% in 2016, driven by stronger demand for certain categories of paper products particularly sustainable packaging, hygiene and speciality papers. The rise in consumption has also had a knock-on effect on imports into CEPI countries which rose by 4.5% in 2016 (7.2% of total European paper consumption). Despite this trend and increased competition globally the industry remains a net exporter, exporting approximately 21% of its production.

On another positive note a 2.7% increase was witnessed in pulp production putting a halt to recent years of decline. This was buoyed by an increase (17.8%) in the export of market pulp to non-CEPI countries, particularly Asia (20.8% increase).

Utilisation of paper for recycling has remained relatively stable as in previous years exhibiting a slight increase in 2016.  The collection of paper for recycling has also moved in the right direction, displaying a modest increase of 1.0%. At the same time, exports of paper for recycling have increased by 5.6% the majority of which reached Asian markets (91.7%).

Additional information:

CEPI’s key statistics, audited by Deloitte, are the primary publication of reference for the most up-to-date statistics on European industry production and market developments. The statistics are a compilation of data received by CEPI members (national associations with pulp and paper companies as members) under the auspices of CEPI’s Statistics Network. Some additional sources, such as Eurostat, have been used where necessary and relevant.

Extra statistical information is accessible to members on CEPI’s Members Area and to non-members by subscription. To subscribe for our extensive statistics offer for non-members please visit our website here.

About CEPI:

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, cardboard, pulp and other bio-based products. CEPI represents 22% of world production, €81 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs over 175,000 people. 

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The EU has decided to launch investigations against Turkey for breach of EU-Turkey Customs Union and WTO rules confirming the validity of a complaint lodged by the European paper industry.

cepi logoCEPI, the independent voice of the paper industry in Europe, presented a trade complaint (Trade Barrier Regulation (“TBR”)) to the European Commission on the 24 April 2017. The complaint concerned the unfair non-automatic import licensing system established by Turkey concerning, inter alia, EU exports of certain varieties of paper including office paper, books, envelopes and paper used for direct mail marketing (otherwise known as uncoated wood free (“UWF”) paper). This is both the first time a TBR complaint has been launched in almost ten years and the first time CEPI as an industry association has lodged a trade complaint.

"Today’s launch of this investigation is an indictment of the Turkish authorities’ reluctance to maintain a level-playing field when it comes to free trade. Turkey should withdraw, in the spirit of the EU-Turkey Customs Union and its WTO commitments, any unfair trade barriers” say Sylvain Lhôte, Director General at CEPI.

The unfair non-automatic import licensing system puts at risk over €150 million worth of EU exports of these varieties of paper. At a time when global free trade is under increasing pressure the European paper industry urges the Turkish authorities to stand on the side of free trade. The paper industry already exports 22% of its entire produce outside the EU and will continue to remain an advocate for free trade and take a firm stance where this is put at risk.

What can be expected next? Within a five to seven month period the Commission will now engage in a detailed investigation of the concerns raised by CEPI resulting in a report which may warrant the launch of WTO proceedings.

Background to the trade complaint: Following an inconclusive safeguard investigation on UWF imports in 2014-2015, Turkey extended in 2016 an existing import licensing system which targeted €150 million of EU exports of UWF paper products. The Turkish non-automatic import licensing system with regard to UWF paper is based on an arbitrary price threshold and creates a significant and unfair obstacle to EU-Turkey trade. As such, the contested system poses a clear violation of WTO and EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement.

Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union: the link to the publication can be consulted here.

About CEPI:

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, cardboard, pulp and other bio-based products. CEPI represents 22% of world production, €81 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs over 175,000 people. 

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CEPI (the Confederation of European Paper Industries) has presented a Trade Barrier Regulation (“TBR”) complaint to the European Commission against the unfair non-automatic import licensing system established by Turkey concerning, inter alia, EU exports of uncoated wood free (“UWF”) paper, which includes office paper, books, envelopes and paper used for direct mail marketing.

cepi logoFollowing an inconclusive safeguard investigation on UCWF imports in 2014-2015, Turkey extended in 2016 an existing import licensing system which targeted €150 million of EU exports of UWF paper products.

The Turkish non-automatic import licensing system with regard to UWF paper is based on an arbitrary price threshold and creates a significant and unfair obstacle to EU-Turkey trade. As such, the contested system poses a clear violation of WTO and EU-Turkey Customs Union Agreement which the Commission is currently seeking to strengthen. 

“The European pulp and paper industry exports more than 20% of its production worldwide. It is essential that the EU ensures with all its trading partners the full respect of free trade and fair competition rules we have in bilateral agreements like with Turkey and at WTO level” say Sylvain Lhôte

For more information, please contact Bernard Lombard at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (+32) 2 627 49 22

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The European paper industry has just launched the reviewed version of its 2050 Roadmap detailing the pathways and investment needed to cut its carbon emissions by 80% while creating 50% more added-value. The Roadmap projects the need for €44 billion more investment - a 40% increase on current levels - to transform industry in Europe and lead the low-carbon bioeconomy by 2050.

cepi logoThe Confederation of European Paper Industry (CEPI) pioneered in 2011 the first low-carbon industry Roadmap. It is today the first industry to table a blueprint to bolster industry transformation. Today the industry reaffirms its vision that decarbonisation and growth are mutually compatible and calls for a better alignment of policy, research and financing conditions to boost investment in Europe.

“Since our first Roadmap in 2011 the paper industry has invested €15 billion in Europe. More must be done to accelerate industry transformation in Europe over the next decade” say Sylvain Lhôte CEPI’s Director General. It is now essential to lift-off the low-carbon bioeconomy and pace of transformation”  

From energy efficiency to deployment of breakthrough technologies, emissions reduction pathways were estimated to require a combined additional investment of €24 billion by 2050. A further €20 billion of investment would be required to boost the production of new low carbon bio-based products.

“The European Commission has rightly put the focus back on investment” adds Sylvain Lhôte “However; it lacks a long-term commitment to drive manufacturing investments back to Europe. The time to act is now; the policy framework for the next decade is being shaped now and over the next three years”.   

The full version of the Roadmap can be consulted here.

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The European Parliament has just opted to follow the ambitious lead set by Environment committee’s vote on the Circular Economy package in January this year.

cepi logoThe most important outcome from today’s vote is that MEPs moved in favour of one single calculation method that enshrines real and comparable recycling rates both in and for Europe.

“Today, the European Parliament has fully grasped the opportunity to make the Circular Economy work for Europe by enabling industry and local authorities to better target where investment needs to take place” says CEPI Director General Sylvain Lhôte

CEPI recognises that the new recycling targets are ambitious while providing new opportunities in terms of improving quality.

 “For an industry where over half of our feedstock comes from paper for recycling, the Parliament’s approach means greater use of raw materials whilst putting the emphasis on quality” says CEPI Raw Materials Director Ulrich Leberle

The vote to encourage the use of bio-based packaging also demonstrates the importance of a Circular Economy that builds upon Europe’s wealth of renewable resources while accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon economy.

Finally the continued assertion of the separate collection of paper is viewed by the European paper and board industry as a means to bridge ambitious targets with higher quality recycling.

CEPI together with other partners in the European paper value chain will shortly publish its updated European Declaration on Paper Recycling where it addresses its commitment to the new targets.

The Circular Economy is one of the core elements necessary to achieving industry transformation in Europe as outlined in our ‘Investment Roadmap’ towards a low-carbon bioeconomy.  Check out our alignment matrix for the full picture.

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2017 02 09 073550

Paper and board production in CEPI countries shows a small decline from 2015
CEPI member countries paper and board production has decreased by 0.1% in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to preliminary figures. Total production in 2016 was around 91 million tonnes. Machine closures in Europe in 2016 were compensated by new capacities or upgrading of existing ones.

United States and Canadian production are expected to be down by 1.0% and 1.8% respectively. Output slightly increased in South Korea (+0.5%), whilst it was unchanged in Japan and Brazil compared to 2015. The highest growth rates in paper and board output appear to have been recorded by Russia (+3.8%), India (+2.9%) and China (+2.9%).

According to very first estimates, world paper and board production will be up by 0.8% in 2016 to reach 410 million tonnes.

The decline in output of graphic grades persists whilst production of packaging grades continues to rise
The picture by sector maintains the situation witnessed in recent years with a continuation of the decline in the production of graphic grades and further growth in the output of packaging grades.
Weak printing and publishing activities continue to have an impact on the overall production of graphic grades, which fell by around 3.7%. Output of newsprint - used mainly for daily newspapers - is expected to fall around 6.4%. The production of graphic papers for other communication needs - magazines and catalogs, direct mail, directories, etc. - have recorded different developments. The decline in the output of coated mechanical paper and coated woodfree grades reach 7.1% and 5.0% respectively, while uncoated mechanical paper output increased by1.9%. The production of uncoated woodfree grades - mainly office paper - is estimated to have decreased by 1.4%.

The production of packaging grades is estimated to have increased by around 2.3% compared to 2015. Within the packaging grades, case materials - mainly used for transport packaging and corrugated boxes - recorded an increase in production of 2.2%. The output of carton board plus other packaging board - such as small goods packaging or book covers - grew by 2.8%, and the production of wrapping grades - used for paper bags production - showed an increase of around 1.2%. Production is impacted by the ongoing trend towards light-weighting and resource efficiency as it is measured in tonnes. The share of packaging grades accounted for 50.1% (49.0% in 2015) of the total paper and board production, with graphic grades accounting for 37.3% (38.8% in 2015).
Sanitary and household manufacturers are estimated to have seen an increase in output of about 1.8% compared to 2015 and accounted for 8.1% of total production. Output of all other grades of paper and board - mainly for industrial and special purposes - increased by 2.8% (4.5% of total production).

Paper and board deliveries by CEPI countries are expected to be down by 0.7%
Based on the cumulative data up to the end of the third quarter of 2016 it is expected that total paper and board deliveries for the year were down by 0.7% compared to 2015, whilst internal deliveries were stable. By the end of September 2016, deliveries of graphic grades had decreased by 5.6% whilst deliveries of packaging grades rose by 2.9%.
Exports had fallen by 2.9% by the end of September 2016 with the main markets for exports being other European countries, which accounted for about 37% of all exports (36% in the same period of 2015), with deliveries to Asian countries accounting for about 25% (26% in 2015), 12% being exported to North America (11% in 2015), 8% to Latin America and 18% to all other countries.
Preliminary indications are that imports of paper and board into the region have increased by around 6% compared to 2015. Imports from other European countries accounted for 44% of all imports in the first three quarters of 2015 (46% in the same period 2015) and imports from North America had a share of 30% (29% in 2015), with the remaining 26% split between the other regions - Asia 11%, Latin America 6%, and the Rest of the World 9%.


Overall paper and board consumption estimated to increase by 1%
It would appear that the overall consumption of paper and board in CEPI countries in 2016 increased by 1% compared to 2015, based on the latest data available.
The latest macroeconomic projections for the euro area foresee annual real GDP increasing by 1.7% in 2016 and 1.5% in 2017; 1.8% and 1.6% respectively for the EU. Growth in emerging market and developing economies is expected to pick up in 2017.
Weak investment and productivity growth are, however, weighing on medium-term prospects across most of these countries. Downside risks to global growth include increasing policy uncertainty in major advanced economies and some emerging countries, financial market disruptions and weakening potential growth.

Total pulp production increases by 0.7% and market pulp output rises by around 2.5%
It is estimated that the production of pulp (integrated + market) has increased by 0.7% compared to the previous year, with total output of approximately 35.6 million tonnes. Output of mechanical pulp has increased by around 1.4% and production of chemical pulp has increased by about 0.5% compared to 2015. It is estimated that the output of market pulp increased by around 2.5%.

Utilisation of paper for recycling falls by around 0.3% when compared to 2015
It is estimated that utilisation of paper for recycling by CEPI members, at 43.2 million tonnes, decreased by around 0.3% compared to 2015.

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"The time has come for a regulatory reset for the paper industry bringing investment back to Europe” says Sylvain Lhôte, CEPI’s Director General

A European Commission real-time study on our sector has revealed that over the past 10 years, direct regulatory costs have more than tripled. On average, direct and ETS-related indirect regulatory costs have absorbed more than 40% of the industry’s annual profitability since 2004.

cepi logoWhile the paper industry is engaging in major transformation of its production base to capture both growth opportunities and dramatically reduce its CO2 emissions, such regulatory burden diminishes our investment capability and deters international capital allocation into Europe.

The cumulative cost impact assessment performed for the European Commission by Technopolis reveals the full scale of regulatory costs in the fields of climate, energy and environment policies (2/3 of alone which arise from climate change & energy regulations).  Despite EU leader’s pledge for smarter regulation and investment in industry, these costs have not subsided in the period since 2004. Planned regulation for biomass-based large combustion plants, ETS and energy-related policies may indeed widen the regulatory cost burden.

In order to prevent the continued erosion of industry’s competitiveness, the EU and its member states must rapidly restore the conditions necessary to fuel transformative investments. Together with the European Commission we share a common agenda on climate change and sustainability, as evidenced by our 2050 vision to decarbonise by 80% and create 50% added-value. We envision ourselves as leading the transition to a circular, low carbon bioeconomy. We therefore ask the Commission and EU member states to act decisively and put back climate, energy & environmental policies on a pro-investment track.

The full text of the study is available here.

CEPI aisbl - The Confederation of European Paper Industries

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is a Brussels-based non-profit organisation regrouping the European pulp and paper industry and championing the industry’s achievements and the benefits of its products. Through its 18 member countries (17 European Union members plus Norway) CEPI represents some 505 pulp, paper and board producing companies across Europe, ranging from small and medium sized companies to multi-nationals, and 920 paper mills. Together they represent 23% of world production.

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Today and tomorrow skill needs of the European Industry require updating the education and training offer.

cepi logoThe European Social Partners in the Pulp and Paper Sector, CEPI and industriAll Europe, presented a set of policy recommendations that should contribute to a more comprehensive skills strategy in Europe.

These recommendations are the result of an extensive research project carried out over the last 2 years. The project was triggered by the observation of profound changes in the industry. Social partners’ agenda was therefore to ensure that the European Paper sector has an adequately skilled workforce.

That is why the European Social Partners call on policy makers to:

- Promote workforce adaptability and versatility

- Focus on upskilling and life-long learning

- Facilitate workers’ mobility

- Anticipate future skills needs

- Create conditions for high-quality mentorship

- Raise awareness and attractiveness of the sector

- Provide a one-stop-shop for a coherent European Skills Strategy

“The subject of skills and qualifications is a burning one for our industry in order to stay competitive and to offer attractive workplaces and opportunities for career development to workers in the European Paper Industry”, said Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe. “industriAll is convinced that Social Dialogue is an excellent tool to identify skills gaps and develop joint ideas to overcome them.”

Sylvain Lhôte, Director General of CEPI: “Future skills and jobs lie at the heart of industry transformation and the bioeconomy transition in Europe. Our industry has a strong innovation and investment agenda ahead to make transformation to happen here in Europe. We need to equip our workforces with the skills to accompany this transformation.

The project deliverables were presented at a conference held in Brussels on 24 November that gathered some 100 participants and are available online in 6 language versions.

CEPI aisbl - The Confederation of European Paper Industries

The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is a Brussels-based non-profit organisation regrouping the European pulp and paper industry and championing industry’s achievements and the benefits of its products. Through its 18 member countries (17 European Union members plus Norway) CEPI represents some 505 pulp, paper and board producing companies across Europe, ranging from small and medium sized companies to multi-nationals, and 920 paper mills. Together they represent 23% of world production.

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