The president of Assopannelli Paolo Fantoni was unanimously elected president of the European Panel Federation (first Italian since its foundation in 1999), the European federation gathering the associations from 25 countries and representing more than 5 thousand companies of the Old Continent. The industry of wood-based panels in Europe employs about 100 thousand people, with an annual turnover of over 22 billion euro.
“I am particularly happy and honored to take over from Ladislaus Döry who, for over a decade has done an excellent job in strengthening the leading role of the association in our industry – said the new president Paolo Fantoni at the time of his election – I believe there are excellent opportunities to represent Europe in the potential of the whole sector of wood-based panels, giving a new face of the industry, more oriented to sustainability, recyclability and use of the product in green building. “
At the outset time, Fantoni stressed the objectives of his presidency, besides in terms of exploitation of biomass more attentive to the needs of industry panels, also on the following points: implementation of the European legislative system and for each country Member with a law requiring the compliance of the standard E1 (low formaldehyde) also in the import and trade of panels; disclosure of the excellence of the sustainability of the panel in the “circular economy” linked to the recycling of raw materials and low energy consumption; major policy of the Federation towards the use of Osb and plywood panels in green building; Business development in the African continent through forms of involvement training on European standards and products skills of use.
In the European activity Fantoni will be joined by general manager Clive Pinnington, head of the new structure of Brussels.
