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A broad range of topics affect the European pulp and paper industry, for example energy, forestry, recycling, food contact, and trade. These issues are subject to European policies, which can directly impact the industry’s competitiveness and sustainability. Many of these issues are interconnected, and this is reflected in the integrated approach that CEPI takes in addressing them.

This section provides you with information on all of the key topics currently impacting our industry. Click on the menu above or in the list below for the latest information for each topic.

Highlights

European Paper Recycling Award 2013

The call for candidates is launched! 

 

 

New website with more functionality

An article on our new website and its new features!

 

Six things you can miss while reading a newspaper

A great video made by an advertising agency on the power of newspaper.

 

Rolling out the Roadmap: Two team project

The two team project is underway: A successful delivery on the two objectives of the CEPI 2050 roadmap  is only possible when breakthrough technologies are available by 2030. What is the breakthrough idea that “de-energizes” pulp and paper production, reducing CO2 emissions with 80% and increasing value by 50% by 2050?

 

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Paper is Value -- Paper Industry Statistics Paper is natural, recyclable, precious, essential. 91% of the raw materials are from Europe, 70% is recycled in Europe, forests have grown by 30% since 1950 and CO2 use has reduced by 40% per tonne of paper produced in the last 20 years. All this shows we are an important partner in the bioeconomy!

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    News | 15 May.2013

    CEPI Two Team Project: The project you should not miss!

    When launching the CEPI Two Team Project in November last year, some sceptics were wondering whether the process would really deliver at the end. To them, we dare say today: "Be prepared to be surprised!"

    The CEPI Two Team Project uses crowdsourcing and open innovation while putting two teams in competition with each other in order to identify within a year breakthrough technology concepts. Those technologies need to enable the European pulp and paper industry to significantly reduce its carbon emissions, while creating more value. Through the implementation of these technologies the industry would be in a position to implement the CEPI Roadmap 2050 that suggested that the sector would decarbonise by 80% and create 50% more value by 2050. Frits Beurskens (former CEO of SKG), the sponsor and mentor of the blue team, sees the project as “a great stimulus for the European pulp and paper sector to develop breakthrough technologies leading to a strong reduction of CO2 emissions and more added value.”

    Inspiring milestones on the way

    Since the launch of the project, the teams already had four opportunities to meet and to elaborate generic concepts of breakthrough innovations. In December, the kick-off meeting held in the famous Atomium of Brussels allowed the participants to break the ice, get to know each other and be informed on the "rules of the game", the available tools and materials, as well as the time schedule. The first substantive meeting took place in Lenzing (Austria). The teams had the opportunity to learn about hi-tech textile fibre produced in the mill before having a full day of brainstorming in split rooms.
    Heiner Grussenmeyer (Stora Enso), the captain of the blue team, thinks that “the interaction with other industry sectors and visits to their sites are very inspiring for all team members and moves discussions on breakthrough concepts to new dimensions.” In February, Tata Steel opened its IJmuiden plant (Netherlands) to the teams, telling them about the ULCOS project (Ultra Low Carbon Steel) before the teams could separately refine the concept areas they had identified in Austria. A first selection of promising concept areas was made at that occasion. After a visit of the Repsol Innovation Technology Centre in Madrid, the teams came to a more realistic selection of generic concepts that are likely to be in the teams’ final report to be delivered in September.

    Comparison, inspiration and metaphors

    While not disclosing any content of what the teams have in mind, readers might be interested to know that both teams are exploring and assessing whether technologies and innovations used in other industries might be helpful. In that context, the teams have looked at the textile industry and its methods to create surfaces out of fibre. They are also considering the food industry and its techniques of drying food. Nature can also be a source of inspiration and bio-mimetics might contribute to the final results submitted by the teams. Useful metaphors are often making very abstract and technical ideas easier to understand. Candles, conditioning shampoos, tumble dryers, and others are some of the pictures the teams are using to make processes that might be relevant for their end results more accessible. ”Our team members are bursting with ideas and are highly motivated. This project will be a real achievement!” summarizes Veit Sorger (former CEO of Mondi and Sponsor and mentor of the Red Team).

    What's next?

    Two more meetings are planned in May and June this year. Then the team will start preparing their final reports. A pre-jury will meet early October to score the teams' submissions before the jury selects the winning concept in time for the winner to be announced on 27 November 2013 at the European Paper Week. The generic concepts proposed by the teams will help CEPI convince the European Commission to grant some money from the framework programme for research Horizon 2020 to the pulp and paper industry. The research money will help to further develop the ideas, hence contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry.

    Call for engagement

    While good progress has been made within the teams, there is still room for feeding the process with any disruptive idea or concept. Nearly 20 submissions have been registered on the www.unfoldthefuture.eu website. More than 100 LinkedIn members have joined the CEPI Two Team Group. The Two Team project is also on Twitter and on Facebook. Jerome Grassin (CTP), captain of the Red Team thinks that “it should be seen as essential to contribute or support the Two Team Project by anyone working in the pulp and paper industry.” The next opportunity to meet the teams and get in touch will be the “Unfolding the future” conference in Ludwigshafen (Germany) on 9 June. The program can be found at www.vdp-online.de/pdf/invitation.pdf. Please submit your ideas at www.unfoldthefuture.eu and follow the process.


     

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    Publication | 06 May.2013

    Simple paper recycling rules from the European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC)

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    Position paper | 25 Apr.2013 ,

    Indirect land-use change (ILUC) proposal: CEPI calls for consistency

    On 17 October, the European Commission released a proposal for a Directive “amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources”. The proposal aims at limiting the risks of emissions resulting from land-use change in connection to the production of biofuels, as well as the potential competition between the usage of crops for food vs. fuel. At the same time, it offers opportunities for the most resource-efficient producers of high value-adding biofuels, among which the pulp and paper industries. Overall, it fits perfectly well with the European Bioeconomy Strategy and Resource Efficiency policies.
    The European pulp and paper industry, represented by CEPI, is a significant user of ligno-cellulosic feedstocks from forests both as raw material for the production of goods, and as biomass for the production of heat and electricity. The European pulp and paper sources more than 80% of its raw materials from within the European Union, generates more than 50% of its energy needs from biomass and represents more than 20% of the total biomass-based energy produced within the European Union. Some companies are also investing in efficient conversion of biomass (BTL) into biofuels for transport.

    Addressing critical issues…

    The European pulp and paper industry welcomes the intentions of the European Commission to address the issue of indirect land-use change (ILUC) and sees the proposal as a useful complement to the proposal for a Decision “on accounting rules and action plans on greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities related to land use, land use change and forestry” (LULUCF) in order to better secure the climate benefits of the European climate and energy policies and acknowledge the carbon neutrality of certain types of biomass (ligno-cellulosic). CEPI welcomes also the emphasis on greehouse gas savings through efficiency thresholds in biofuels’ use.

    … but failing to be fully consistent

    Still, CEPI wonders what scientific criteria and reasoning have been used to select and list exhaustively the feedstocks considered to have a double or quadruple contribution as listed in the Annex IX and regrets that some provisions of the proposals create unneeded competition and inconsistencies with other EU policies (resource efficiency, jobs and growth, etc.):

    • In the list of “feedstocks whose contribution towards the target referred to in Article 3(4) shall be considered to be twice their energy content” (Annex IX, Part B.), the inclusion of ligno-cellulosic materials does only exclude saw logs and veneer logs. Not excluding “pulpwood (roundwood and chips)” would create unfair competition by implicitely incentivising the use of pulpwood in the form of roundwood and chips (including sawmill chips) for energy, potentially in opposition with the resource efficiency principles of the EU.

    • In the list of “feedstocks whose contribution towards the target referred to in Article 3(4) shall be considered to be four times their energy content” (Annex IX, Part A.), the inclusion of the biomass fraction of mixed municipal waste – even with the exclusion of separately collected streams of household waste – is an incentive for municipalities, depending on the conditions, to stop separate waste collection and convert the co-mingled collected waste into energy, thereby refraining from the 2015 target of separate collection of metals, plastics, paper and glass and departing from the waste hierarchy as laid down in the Waste Directive.

    • In the list of “feedstocks whose contribution towards the target referred to in Article 3(4) shall be considered to be four times their energy content” (Annex IX, Part A.), the inclusion of the biomass fraction of industrial waste is an incentive for waste producers and municipalities, depending on the conditions, to stop separate waste collection and convert the co-mingled collected waste into energy, thereby refraining from the 2015 target of separate collection of metals, plastics, paper and glass and departing from the waste hierarchy as laid down in the Waste Directive.

    • In the list of “feedstocks whose contribution towards the target referred to in Article 3(4) shall be considered to be twice their energy content” (Annex IX, Part B.), the inclusion of non-food cellulosic materials might be an incentive for waste producers and municipalities, depending on the conditions, to stop separate waste collection and convert the co-mingled collected waste into energy, thereby refraining from the 2015 target of separate collection of metals, plastics, paper and glass and departing from the waste hierarchy as laid down in the Waste Directive.

    • In the list of “feedstocks whose contribution towards the target referred to in Article 3(4) shall be considered to be four times their energy content” (Annex IX, Part A.), the inclusion of industrial co-products like saw dust and cutter shavings should be extended to co-products which are mostly fit for conversion into biofuels, like black liquor and residues (such as tall oil), which are co-products of the pulp production process.

    We therefore urge the Commission to ensure a consistent regulatory approach and an efficient use of resources by:

    • adding “pulpwood (roundwood and chips)” in the exception list of ligno-cellulosic materials considered with a two times contribution to the biofuels target (under letter (d) of Annex IX Part B).

    • adding “black liquor and similar residues and extractives of the pulp industry” to the list of feedstocks whose contribution towards the target referred to in Article 3(4) shall be considered to be four times their energy content (under letter (n) of Annex IX Part A)

    • reviewing the inclusion of municipal waste and industrial waste in the light of the other objectives of the EU in terms of recycling and waste policy (for instance, by adding under letters (b) and (c) of Annex IX Part A: “but not waste subject to separate collection under Article 11(1) of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives”.

    • adding “waste subject to separate collection under Article 11(1) of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives ” in the exception list of non-food cellulosic materials considered with a two times contribution to the biofuels target (under letter (c) of Annex IX Part B).

    • including in the CAP support measures to increase the relevant biomass potential and the sustainable mobilisation of feedstocks needed to fulfil the targets.

    For more information, please contact Daniela Haiduc at d.haiduc@cepi.org mobile: +32 473 562 936


    Note to the Editor

    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 520 pulp, paper and board producing companies across Europe, ranging from small and medium sized companies to multi-nationals, and 1000 paper mills. Together they represent 25% of world production.

    Website: http://www.cepi.org/       mail@cepi.org
     

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    Position paper | 24 Apr.2013 ,

    Competitive Gas - CEPI position to the costs of natural gas in Europe

    The European Industry needs affordable energy. CEPI calls upon on the European Commission and Member States to urgently address the increasing costs differences in energy costs compared to North America resulting from the shale gas boom.

    While gas prices in Europe have doubled since 2003, and expected to keep growing, shale gas in North America has brought gas prices to extraordinary low levels.

    European Commissioner Oettinger recently answered the European Parliament that “According to the International Energy Agency, natural gas prices for industry in the first quarter of 2012 were on average 241 per cent higher in EU OECD than in the US “.

    This situation is unsustainable. The competitiveness of industry is seriously at risk. Even for single companies, the costs differences are tens of millions of euros a year, compared to competitors buying gas in the USA.

    If nothing is done, the growing price gap will soon make most of the investments in Europe – including low-carbon technologies – simply economically unattractive. With some sectors of the European industrial base already moving to North America, the European Pulp and Paper Industry has the strong will to stay in Europe and keep jobs and value creation here. Energy costs in Europe are however becoming unsustainably uncompetitive.

    Fourty percent of our energy needs are natural gas, next to the over 50% bioenergy in our fuel mix. Many of the most efficient power plants run on natural gas. We do not call for low prices per se. We need affordable energy, comparable to competitors.

    A European Gas Strategy is needed. We call on Heads of Governments and Ministers for Energy & Environment, the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament to urgently discuss this issue and come up with concrete measures and defined timelines as soon as possible.

    The European Gas Strategy should take, as a starting point, the following key aspects:

    1. A truly pan-European gas market
    Recent ACER and European Commission reports confirm that we’re still far from achieving the goal of one single gas market. More competition and removal of trans-boundary charges for intra-EU gas transport are necessary sine qua non conditions. We urge the Commission to start a renewed sectorial investigation into the gas sector to find all obstacles to lower gas prices in Europe.

    2. Decoupling of natural gas prices from oil prices.
    There might have been historic reasons for linking gas to oil prices, but these reasons are no longer there. Natural gas is nowadays a commodity traded in a liquid market, and should be treated as such. We ask the European Commission and member state to provide the right policy conditions and remove barriers to allow for a real gas to gas market to materialise.

    3. Removal of bottlenecks in gas supply
    LNG terminals and gas pipelines are crucial to diversify the sources of gas supply. Investments should be promoted and facilitated. We urge the European Commission to put free trade in US natural gas as a prerequisite for the cross Atlantic free trade agreement.

    4. Promote increased access to domestic gas resources
    Governments need to take concrete actions to ensure that the potential for domestic gas production is maximised, to strengthen Europe’s position when negotiating gas prices with third countries. Europe needs to tap into its domestic gas production, including EU shale gas when and where possible, in a sustainable way. Policymakers need to set an enabling framework to do so.

    5. Lower prices from the world markets.
    Europe needs to put in all its power to allow not only US gas to come to Europe, but also to allow for gas from other producing countries to come in at lower prices.

    6. Lower taxation on natural gas use or full exclusions for industry from energy taxation and costs from energy-related policies, to be allowed in the EU Energy Tax directive and state aid guidelines as long as the price differences with North America remain.
     
    We need to mitigate the gas price gap between Europe and the rest of the world.

    We need Europe to step up and urgently find answers to these challenges.

    The EU and its Member States should consider impacts on energy prices and the affordability of energy when preparing, adopting and implementing related policies. Completing the EU internal energy market to enhance competition and cross-border trade in energy, developing new sources of energy, and further diversifying energy supplies to the EU will have beneficial effects on prices.

    CEPI therefore calls on Member States in particular, to urgently address this issue already at the upcoming Competitiveness Council (29-30 May), and European Council (30 May).


    * * *
    For more information, please contact Daniela Haiduc at d.haiduc@cepi.org mobile: +32 473562936


    Note to the Editor

    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 520 pulp, paper and board producing companies across Europe, ranging from small and medium sized companies to multi-nationals, and 1000 paper mills. Together they represent 25% of world production.

     

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    News | 18 Apr.2013 ,

    EuroNanoForum: Workshop - Products based on wood nanotechnology

    The EuroNanoForum conference focuses on the impact nanotechnology is having in solving societal challenges linked to environmental, energy and health issues. It showcases innovation as a driver of economic growth. It presents new technologies arising from nanoscience and their applications and discusses potential new end products. It addresses commercialisation and co-operative alliances and schemes that accelerate their deployment, whilst also considering other key enabling technologies: advanced materials, nanoelectronics and manufacturing.
    Participation will be in excess of 1000 key stakeholders from Europe and elsewhere, including nanotechnology applied researchers, industry stakeholders, and the decision-makers responsible for European R&D funding. This is your opportunity to influence decisions on the future of European Nanotechnology R&D.  The event offers a bridge to Horizon 2020, the European Union’s future funding programme for research and innovation (2014-2020). The conference will look at how nanotechnologies will fit into the targeted key priority areas of Horizon 2020: Excellent Science, Industrial Leadership and Societal Challenges.
     

    The Forest Technology Platform, together with the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), is organising a  workshop on ‘Products based on wood nanotechnology’ on Thursday 20 June, 09:00 – 10:30h. Wood-based nanotechnologies and the production of nano-based products have many promising application areas. The world production of nanocellulose has just passed 100 ton per year and meanwhile new multi-functional nanoparticle coatings are being developed and the research on wood-based carbon-nanotubes is moving fast.
     

    But how long will it take until we see the first market applications? In what way will wood-nanotechnologies satisfy the need of consumers? To debate these questions and to consider the future of wood nanotechnology the following speakers will lead the discussion:


    • Johan Elvnert, Managing Director, FTP – Introduction to the renewed European Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRA) for the forest-based sector
    • Alexander Bismarck, Professor, Vienna University – Nanosized bacterial cellulose, truly green and fully renewable composites, and novel macroporous polymers
    • Pia Qvintus, VTT – Plant-based nanocellulose – from research to applications
    • Esa Laurinsilta, Director, UPM – The market for nanoncellulose in 5 years
    • Anna Suurnäkki, Chief research scientist, VTT – overview of other nano-application research areas emerging
    • Panel Discussion: Will nanotechnology-derived applications take the market gradually or will we see a paradigm-shift for the forest-based industry and consumers?


    Nanotech Europe and EuroNanoForum are joining forces in 2013 to create the biggest European marketplace for nanotechnology and materials applications, products and research. The fully integrated exhibition will enable you to demonstrate and see state of the art technologies and research results from innovative companies, leading institutes, clusters, SMEs and EU-projects.

    For registration and further information: www.euronanoforum2013.eu

    CEPI is a member of the Forest technology Platform (FTP)

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