European Particleboard Industry - Present Situation and Future Prospects, 1995 European Polymers, Laminations and Coatings Proceedings

Jose M. Pena-Möller

European Federation of Associations of Particleboard Manufacturers -FESYP

FESYP, the professional organisation of the European particleboard industry represents the interests of European particleboard manufacturers and deals with economic, political, technical and environmental topics at international level. Within the European wood-based panel sector, particleboard accounts for some 77% of the overall production volume. In 1994, particleboard industry within the FESYP member countries registered a production volume of 26.9 million m3 and a consumption of 26.3 million m3, marking a new record high in the history of European particleboard manufacture. Positive impulses have been derived from Europe’s coming out of the recession, but they were slightly curbed by strong pressures resulting from the rise in raw material costs. Despite these factors of insecurity, the industry takes a positive outlook on the years to come and expects a stage of consolidation after the expansion period which characterised the beginning of the 1990s. On EU level, various factors will influence the future of particleboard industry, both at political as well as at technical level.