The Nordic Timber Council (NTC) celebrates its 10th birthday on November 16 – and the organisation is busier than ever.
During next month the NTC’s work on pan-European promotion will come to fruition. Individual national organisations will announce how they plan to participate in future collaborative projects and detail the financial commitments that their participation will entail.
The NTC does more than just market timber in Europe. For several years, it has also been enthusiastically lobbying for increased European collaboration in the timber industry.
The Nordic countries have been co-operating across their borders for a long time. The entire NTC, which is supported by the sawmill industries in Norway, Sweden and Finland, is obvious proof of this. Other collaboration, often bilateral, has also occurred between European countries, such as Italy and Austria. But on the matter of pan-European collaboration, there is room for improvement.
Jan Söderlind, managing director of the NTC, said: “Two years ago, we took the initiative on European co-operation within the network of the European Timber Council (ETC). Everyone is welcome to join the ETC and the project; up to now, interest has been gratifyingly positive. We have already begun four projects and are now starting to reap the benefits.”
Lower costs
By sharing their experiences and combining their strengths, the national organisations can be more comprehensive and effective without spending more than they have to date. The goal is to gain access to more material, better ideas and greater opportunities for influencing decisions – all at a lower cost.
The pan-European Environmental Communication project has been established to support the national organisations in their environmental work. Climate change and other environmental questions are global in nature, and all the organisations are struggling with the same issues. The project is working hard to gather and disseminate information and to increase awareness.
“We have long planned this project,” said Gunilla Beyer, project leader for Environmental Communication. “The public is in great need of information but, until now, no-one has been able to explain in simple terms what this is all about. Now we’re on the right track.”
Frenzy of activity
The NTC has taken the initiative on many different pan-European projects and the autumn brings a frenzy of activity, including planning for 2004. In November, all national organisations are expected to take a stand on the plans and decide whether they want to participate. As a result of the interest shown at the most recent meeting of the ETC, held in Copenhagen this summer, the NTC is now cautiously optimistic.
The plans include an entirely new pan-European project, designed to reach the Asian markets. Interest in collaboration with the Japanese and Chinese markets is particularly strong. The NTC has been active in Asia since 1993 and is happy to share the experiences it has collected over the years. In order to expand further into Asia and become a factor to be reckoned with, organisations must work together.
“When it comes to standardisation, it’s virtually impossible for individual countries to negotiate with China, for example,” said Mr Söderlind. “They would just send us packing and ask us to come back when we can speak with one voice, a European voice.”
Building Europe
In November, decisions regarding the projects Building Europe and Wood & Food will also be made.
Building Europe aims to increase the use of wood in the construction industry, with an emphasis on investigating the housing sector in selected countries in Europe. The project is also working to support the ongoing EC5 work and to producing a European toolbox for specifiers.
The Wood & Food project is charged with counteracting the negative trend that has led to a decrease in the use of wood in food handling. In this regard, it is launching an information campaign about the hygienic properties of wood in relation to food. The project is part of a collaborative effort between the NTC, national associations and the European Federation of Wood Packaging Producers (FEFPEB).
In order to inspire and educate architects to use and work with wood, the NTC also decided to launch a European magazine, Building Europe, based on needs and knowledge gaps among European architects. This year, participating countries include France, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Hopefully more countries will join next year. The first issue will be published in November and a second is planned for April 2004.
