European leaders of the pulp and paper industries have called for the European Commission to address the economic issues threatening the future of the industry.

 

According to the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), demand for pulp and paper is in sharp decline within Europe, investment is shrinking and unemployment is rocketing.

 

The organisation has submitted its manifesto for competitiveness and employment to the Commission to urge the organisation to act.

 

Key recommendations include promoting innovation, boosting the availability of raw materials and allowing Europe to compete with lower energy cost competitors.

 

Chief executive of Holmen and CEPI chairman Magnus Hall met with the European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Günther Verheugen, in Brussels.

 

"The European Union cannot afford to let the pulp and paper industries and its related value chain slide into crisis," said Hall.

 

"We must work together with the European Commission to identify the causes of the current problems, ensure that nothing is done to make a bad situation worse and build solutions together that deal with the real issues."

 

The pulp and paper industry turns over EUR80bn a year. Approximately 1.8 million people rely on the industry for employment, 63% of which live in rural areas.

From: packagingnews.co.uk