The European Panel Federation (EPF) AGM is definitely one of the highlights in the European wood-based panels industry calendar.
Whether it is the latest industry statistics, thought-provoking presentations from sector stakeholders, or the networking and fantastic annual dinner, the event is valuable on multiple levels.
The German capital of Berlin was the setting this year for the June 25-27 event, and it was a case of third time lucky. Two previous attempts to host the event in the Berlin – in 2020 and 2021 – were cancelled due to the pandemic.
This year’s event was co-organised by The German Wood-Based Panel Association (VHI), which represents 80% of the German particleboard and fibreboard industry, as well as 95% of the plywood sector and 90% of the interior door industry. Event sponsors were Surteco, BASF, Dieffenbacher, Prefere Resins, and Hywax GmbH.
WBPI attended the AGM open session at the Melia Hotel overlooking the River Spree and the annual dinner in Berlin’s mesmerising Natural History Museum, complete with a dinosaur skeleton taking centre stage.
Raw material availability, regulation and economic prospects were major talking points on the AGM’s open session conference. The publication of the EPF’s 2024-2025 Annual Report at the event gave extensive statistics on the performance of the European woodbased panels industry during 2024.
From the stats, summaries and hardhitting presentations, it is clear that while the panel industry has been through a tough time in the last couple of years, there are some positive glimmers, one being the growth in its market share in the furniture industry during 2024.
The EPF Annual Report 2024-2025 shows the final production figures for the European wood-based panels industry – a 2.7% growth in output during 2024 to 58.1 million m3.
The figure is slightly higher than the provisional statistics shared at the Interzum exhibition in May, when production growth was expected to be up 1.9% to 57.4 million m3. The stats have to be viewed in light of a -6.2% reverse in 2023.
A key point emphasised by EPF MD Matti Rantanen was that wood-based panels increased their market share in 2024, with the product’s usage in the furniture sector growing to 49% (+2% on 2023), despite a -4% reverse in European furniture production during the year. The building industry (including doors and floors) accounted for a declining share of 36% of overall woodbased panels production
Final stats show particleboard recorded a 1.5% production growth to 31.3 million m3 in 2024, which was 3% below pre-pandemic levels of 2019. MDF grew 1.9% to 11.3 million m3 and OSB reached 7.1 million m3 – a 5% rise on the previous year.
The EPF’s stats show Germany remains the number one PB producer in EPF countries, with a quoted production output capacity of 4.95 million m3 in 2024, followed by Poland (nearly 4 million m3) and Italy (3.1 million m3). The three countries’ PB production rate compared to 2023 was -2%, +6.9% and 3% respectively.
The EPF predicts PB production in 2025 will see growth from several countries, with an estimated target of 32 million m3 (+662,000m3 on 2024).
The report also shows that in PB, the annual production capacity of most European countries will remain the same in 2025, with the exception of Italy, which is expected to see a 120,000m3 reduction. This demonstrates the lack of major investment in new production capacity in the region.
Figures for MDF production exclude Turkey and Russia. With the exception of western Europe, all major European regions contributed to the 2024 growth to 11.3 million m3.
The total is expected to grow in 2025 to about 11.64 million m3, according to EPF.
In the OSB sector, European producers gained a greater market share in construction during 2024, while also increasing extra-EU exports of OSB. The top two extra-EU export destinations were the US (564,000m3 / +43%) and the UK (480,000m3 / +3%).
EPF predicts OSB production to further grow in 2025 to 7.24 million m3 (+184,000m3).
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
EPF managing board member Stefan Zinn (Pfleiderer) and Holger Lösch, executive board member of the Federation of German Industries, summarised the industry future in the face of transformation and geopolitical challenges.
Mr Zinn told delegates that the industry was experiencing very challenging times.
“It is even more important to have clear guidance and strong support for the industry,” said Mr Zinn.
Mr Zinn said while wood was an important material in helping realise low carbon targets, the emphasis in recent years of a “zero everything” policy was not possible in reality. The panels industry, he added, needed a reliable source of energy to operate and needed to be competitive.
He warned that the burden of regulation and ultra-low emissions targets could lead to greater imports of cheaper Chinese furniture which doesn’t need to meet the same standards.
“New regulation in Europe and Germany needs to be reasonable and not put our industry out of business,” he added.
Holger Lösch, executive board member of the Federation of German Industries, said European regulations were trying to do the impossible and performing “gymnastics” in their policy approach. This came, he said, from a general distrust towards businesspeople from European policymakers and a risk averse approach.
Mr Lösch said policymakers were understanding that the industry had tough challenges, but they were also intent on ambitious climate targets. “There is an internal fight about what measures we need to take to gain business confidence again, while still helping climate targets,” he said.
“We need to get away from this attitude of regulating every detail because it is ruining our innovation.”
New EPF managing director Matti Rantanen reported a growth in building permits towards the end of 2024 (+14%) and the start of 2025 (+5%), following a declining trend in recent years. But he said economic sentiment remains in “negative territory” for the industry.
The furniture sector experienced a minor increase in production in Q1, 2025 year-onyear, after a 20% decline from mid-2022 to the end of 2024.
Mr Rantanen summarised by saying private consumption is the main current growth driver in the EU27, while there is now reduced uncertainty in the construction sector. He said there is a turning point in the EU housing market amid improved affordability, rising real wages and declining interest rates.
Dr Paulina Dejmek Hack, head of cabinet for European commissioner Jessika Roswall, addressed the conference via video link, highlighting that the panels industry was essential to building a sustainable and resilient EU bioeconomy.
She said an updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy is expected by end of 2025 with the aim to untap the potential of bio-based materials by scaling up skills, infrastructures and supportive markets.
Her presentation also pointed to the Circularity: The Circular Economy Act expected in 2026. With only 12% of materials reused in the EU, she said the Commission was looking at transformative changes to keep materials in value chains longer.
Ms Hack took on board the industry’s concerns regarding competitiveness and simplification – that regulation must not be burdensome while maintaining EU standards and cutting unnecessary complexity.
Marcus Kirschner, managing director of the Federal Association for Wooden Packaging, Pallets and Export Packaging in Germany, showed how the association had successfully lobbied policymakers with creative and compelling storytelling backed up by industry stats.
“We have to show them why the industry is important, because without us nothing would work,” Mr Kirschner added – emphasising how key goods relied on wooden pallets and packaging to transport them to their destinations.
EPF technical director Kris Wijnendaele demonstrated to members the EPF’s new Strategic Wood Availability policy paper which charts “The growing gap between strategic need and ecological reality.” (For more on this see pp42-43.)
The EPF’s advocacy work also involves lobbying on the EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), with the EPF sending a joint letter on EUDR simplification in May, as well as a statement on EUDR country benchmarking in June, with active lobbying taking place to gain support in the European Council, Parliament and from stakeholders. Mr Wijnendaele said the EPF sympathised with the idea behind the regulation but in its current format it “did not work”.
The decision of the European Chemicals Agency to list melamine as a Substance of Very High Concern under the REACH regulation was highlighted by Mr Wijnendaele. Melamine is an important chemical used in wood-based panels.
He said the regulation moves are mainly aimed at direct use of melamine in other sectors and would not likely affect the use of resins in panels.
This year’s EPF dinner, which preceded the conference, was held at the Berlin Natural History Museum, with Surteco as main sponsor.
