Members meeting for the general assembly of the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) were also told to "take control over their own future" and step-up co-operation within the EOS.

The initiatives were discussed at the June 15 meeting in Riga, when the EOS also predicted that members’ (14 countries accounting for 90% of European sawn wood output) softwood production would drop by 2.4% in 2012, while hardwood output is set to fall by 2.6%.

Jan Söderlind, international wood programme director at the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, presented a proposal for a joint Eureopan wood promotion campaign by EOS and the European Timber Trade Federation.

Members approved the development of a detailed action plan, which will be evaluated in September, with the aim of launching the campaign at the International Softwood Conference at Stockholm on October 19, 2013.

Members also approved an EOS policy paper focused on the difficulties faced by hardwood sawmilling members due to log exports to China.

"With the paper, the sector aims at raising further awareness among European and national policy makers to encourage them to take action in defence of the sector," the EOS said.

EOS chairman Alfred Jechart told members that markets has not really improved in the first half of 2012.

He said the main reason for lower softwood production forecasts for this year will be lower output in Austria, Germany, Latvia and Sweden.

Production marginally rose in 2011 by 2.3% to 80.7 million m3 with Germany remaining the largest producer at 21.6 million m3( 26.8% EOS market share), followed by Sweden (16.5 million m3/20.8%) and Finland (9.7 million m3/12%).

Germany was the lead EOS softwood consuming nation, consuming 27.7% of total EOS softwood production, with France second (15.4) and the UK third (11.6%).

On the sawn hardwood front, rising exports of EU logs is hitting the sector’s raw materials supply very badly.

Production increased by 4.9% in 2011. Romania and France held the largest share of output (both 24.4%), jointly accounting for nearly half the entire EOS production, followed by Germany (15.2%).

Sawn hardwood consumption rose 4% in 2011 but is forecast to dip 3.6% this year. France was the largest consumer.