Representatives of the wood processing industry from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) gathered at the end of January 2025 at the Holztechnikum Kuchl in Salzburg for the traditional beginning of the year meeting. At the center of the discussions were the new agenda of the European Commission and the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Association leaders welcomed the European Commission's recent announcement to cut red tape and reduce administrative burdens for companies. "Our member enterprises, mostly small and medium-sized family businesses, urgently need support measures and a signal of economic renewal," said Dr. Stephan Lang, President of the Federal Association of the German Timber and Woodworking Industry (DeSH).
A major concern remains the implementation of the EUDR, whose deadline has been pushed back by 12 months to the end of 2024. The regulation requires market operators to provide extensive information about their supply chains, which could burden many companies with excessive red tape. The associations emphasize that the EUDR's objective to combat deforestation and protect threatened forests on other continents cannot be achieved by burdening the local timber industry, especially as illegal timber imports are already regulated under the EUTR (EU Timber Trade Regulation).
The three associations call on the European Commission to re-evaluate the effects and effectiveness of the EUDR and to significantly simplify implementation for companies. DeSH, the Austrian Wood Industry Association and Holzindustrie Schweiz regularly work together to promote the sector's interests at European level.
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