EFIC - European Furniture Industries Confederation

📣 EFIC MANIFESTO 2024-2029 📣 Did you miss our recommendations for the next EU term for a competitive European Furniture Industry? What is needed for our industry to thrive, in short: 1. Harmonised legislation at EU level, with standardisation as its backbone 2. Holistic approach on circular economy to fully close the loop 3. Level playing field, increased market surveillance & enforcement of EU rules 4. Free but rules-based international trade 5. Increased design protection and measures against counterfeiting 6. Addressing labour shortages and skills needs 7. Ensuring a competitive EU globally and supporting SMEs Looking forward to a continuous cooperation with policymakers and partners. The full version can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/e5ewnsbm Translations to other EU languages will be made available progressively here: https://lnkd.in/eNsMhFZZ #furnitureindustry #competitiveness #SMEs #sustainability #harmonisation #circulareconomy #ecodesign #skills #designprotection

Last week, we welcomed our Circular Economy Working Group in Brussels! Many thanks Ekaterina Stoyanova for joining us to share EURATEX - European Apparel and Textile Confederation's views on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation #ESPR and the latest on the preparation of the delegated act for apparel, the very first one under the ESPR. Apart from sharing how Euratex is preparing and is involved in the process, Ekaterina reminded how important it is to raise awareness among companies at an early stage, so that they start adapting to potential future requirements.   Under the #ESPR, #furniture (including mattresses) is also prioritised for first action. With our members we exchanged how to: ✅ continue preparing internally for the next steps in view of the delegated act for furniture, both on potential ecodesign requirements but also data gathering ✅ keep the many SMEs in the sector informed early on on the process (for example via our internal briefing for companies, to be updated regularly) ✅ collaborate with other stakeholders in the 'furniture ecosystem'   We also progressed, among other topics, on recommendations for harmonised Extended Producer Responsibility #EPR schemes for furniture across the EU, considering the ongoing initiatives at national level in some countries.    We completed our programme with a visit of the European Parliament’s #EP hemicycle.

👉 Thank you Trä- och Möbelföretagen for inviting EFIC to present to your members what we do in Brussels for the benefit of the #furniture industry. EFIC’s main role, as explained by our Secretary General Gabriella Kemendi, is to act as a bridge between the industry and EU policymakers. We highlighted several advocacy examples, such as the EFIC Manifesto 2024-2029 - which shares the furniture industry’s vision and needs for the next legislative term and beyond - but also EFIC’s involvement in many files, such as the #ESPR, #EUDR, #PPWR, #WFD, #R2R, #Taxonomy, #MR, to name a few.   Looking forward to our continuous collaboration TMF 🤝 Robin Ljungar Sandra Furtenbach Simon Imner

Together with The European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-Bois) and European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), EFIC recently participated in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee (#SSDC) for the #furniture and #woodworking industries 🪑🪵.   Ms Maria Luisa Cabral, Director at DG Employment at the European Commission shared her views on the sectors’ evolving needs - particularly the need to address skills shortages - and on the importance of strengthening the Social Dialogue. Gabriella Kemendi mentioned that labour shortages and lack of skilled workforce is indeed a challenge for the #furniture industry and referred to the recommendations issued by Social Partners to all involved actors and at all levels, to tackle the matter 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/e8GCjEE3   We also welcomed several presentations: - William AVIGNON and Rebecca Melicia Divyne Loemba Matimouna from Recyc Matelas Europe, operating in the field of mattress recycling, presented their social integration program, a valuable example of a best practice that helps bridging the gap between the workforce needs and a more #circular and inclusive economy 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/dmiebJNs - Ms Marta Muñoz Martí from DG Education and Culture informed of efforts to establish a network for international mobility in vocational education and training (VET), modelled on the framework already in place for universities through #Erasmus+. - Ms Anna Horvath from Eurydice presented the Eurydice report on "Learning for Sustainability in Europe", highlighting the importance of building sustainability competencies and supporting teachers and schools in integrating these principles into education: https://lnkd.in/eXb5iAgY   Constance Rossi gave an overview on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation #ESPR and the future delegated act on furniture, a legislation that will also have implications on #skills and #training needs in our sector.

📢 The European Commission proposes today an extra 12 months for the EU Deforestation Regulation #EUDR implementation. If approved by the European Parliament and the Council, it would make the law applicable on 30 December 2025 for large companies and 30 June 2026 for micro- and small enterprises. The Commission also releases today the updated FAQs and guidance document which aim to provide additional clarity to companies and enforcing authorities to facilitate the application of the rules. The link to both and all other relevant documents are below (post edited to add links). ➡️News available here: https://lnkd.in/dywTvCTx ➡️Commission EUDR (updated) website: https://lnkd.in/gmX7Qerw ➡️Proposal for a Regulation amending the EUDR: https://lnkd.in/esPQ2ZTA ➡️Guidance document: https://lnkd.in/eQvxp9W9 ➡️Third edition of the FAQs: https://lnkd.in/gSdrJV5k ➡️SME factsheet: https://lnkd.in/eBrNbdxu ➡️Mythbuster: https://lnkd.in/eUt7UEyQ ➡️Strategic framework for cooperation: https://lnkd.in/e4P6YCgb ➡️TARIC data: https://lnkd.in/edzkGsuQ

🔊 FAQs on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation #ESPR are now available! See here: https://lnkd.in/dE82gcMW The FAQs provide clarifications on aspects such as scope, participation in the Ecodesign Forum #EDF that will assist in the preparation of delegated acts and its potential subgroups, the digital product passport #DPP, the working plan with product (and intermediate products) priorities, guidance for #SMEs and many others. EFIC analysed for members these FAQs that help address outstanding internal questions on the ESPR. ➡️Spread the news and follow us for further updates on the ESPR and future work on #ecodesign requirements for furniture. #ESPR #furnitureindustry #sustainableproducts #circulareconomy

We were pleased to welcome Geert Coudenys from Unilin, during our Circular Economy Working Group call earlier this week! Mr. Coudenys presented Unilin’s innovative technology for #recycling #MDF boards. Thanks to the ‘Osiris technology’ using steam explosion, the wood fibres can be reused for the production of high-quality boards - which doubles their life span – replacing virgin fibres. By 2030, Unilin Group aims to replace at least 25% of its raw materials mix with recycled fibres. More information can be found on Unilin’s website: https://lnkd.in/eRaUCDQW  #MDF #recycling #innovation #wood

Today, EFIC co-signed a joint statement on the EU Deforestation Regulation #EUDR with European primary producers and various other industries to urge for a delay of the entry into force of the Regulation due to the lack of clear implementation tools less than 100 days before its entry into application. We fully support the goal of eradicating deforestation and forest degradation and remain committed to collaborating on effective solutions for the EUDR, however we urge policymakers to recognise our concerns related to EUDR implementation practicalities. ➡ Statement available here: https://lnkd.in/eqM3BbJJ

EFIC, FederlegnoArredo and AMBIT - Living Spaces Cluster met this week in Barcelona for the 𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗖𝗜𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 at Ambit's BCN showroom (https://lnkd.in/dbnTZCFn). This space is tailored for architects, interior designers, and developers, showcasing a diverse range of furniture products and integrated solutions for new construction and renovation projects.   We touched upon several tools that will be helpful in the transition to a more circular economy in our sector such as: ➡ the development of our online self-evaluation tool for furniture companies to assess their circular economy readiness and a report on the massive survey results (available here: https://lnkd.in/dyP-Rxni) ➡ our Guide for deploying Circular Economy practices in the industry, which will present a set of guidelines, good practices and business cases helping workers, employees and professionals from the sector in this task. ➡ a blueprint on sustainable furniture take-back schemes   We also had the chance to visit the Nutcreatives, where Àlex Jiménez Higueras presented their innovative work in sustainable design, emphasizing circular economy principles. Their approach combines eco-friendly materials with a focus on minimizing environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle. By utilizing locally sourced materials, they reduce carbon footprints and ensure that their designs benefit communities across various sectors.   👉 Learn more about our work at furncircle.eu   #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #FurnitureIndustry #FurnCIRCLE

✍️ EFIC co-signed a Joint Statement for fair regulations for #onlinemarketplaces 🌐in the EU and effective #enforcement of rules. We have joined forces with 58 other organisations to express concerns about the lack of accountability for some of these platforms, leading to non-compliant products entering the market, compromising consumer safety and environmental standards. In a nutshell, we recommend to: ✅Acknowledge online marketplaces as responsible economic operators ✅Increase compliance responsibilities for these platforms ✅Implement better tracking systems for products ✅Strengthen regulations to combat illegal imports 👉🏻 Read the full Joint Statement on our website: https://lnkd.in/ew8Rp_7x