FEBO president Géraud Spire’s priorities for the reorganised body include solving “the real matters of concern for the sector”.

Such issues mooted at FEBO’s general assembly in Cologne are how CE marking of wooden products can be carried out in practice, whether terms of delivery can be harmonised within the European timber trade, how individual countries perceive demand for certified wood and the current shortage of raw materials in the market.

Another central issue is promotion of timber use in Europe.

FEBO’s general assembly heard that 2006 was a good year for the timber trade in Europe. Germany, Italy and Belgium enjoyed leading positions in the timber league, with two-figure growth rates, while Switzerland and Finland recorded increases of up to 10%.

“The European timber trade reckons with a continuation of the positive development in turnover,” said FEBO. “The increasing shortages in the procurement of timber, however, alongside long delivery periods for all wooden products and the resultant rising prices are a source of concern for all member associations.”