FEFPEB President calls for united voice across wood packaging industry
The outgoing head of the European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) has called on representatives of the European and international wooden pallet and packaging industry to work together rather than in isolation, ensuring that European lobbying messages are consistent and achieve the best possible results for the sector.
Addressing his final FEFPEB congress after 13 years as President, Rob van Hoesel said: “FEFPEB is a federation of country members, individual companies, pallet pools and association members, representing the European pallet industry, lightweight packaging and industrial packaging.
“We always strive for a common approach and succeeded in establishing a recognised position as the representative federation for our whole industry. That is a continuous process.”
Duplicating lobbying efforts at the expense of clear messaging and representation was “potentially the worst-case scenario for our industry”, he said. Having different organisations with similar aims operating in Brussels was “a waste of time and labour”, risking the communication of “two different messages, which would be damaging for our industry”.
He concluded by calling for unity and a coordinated pooling of resources. “We have a beautiful, sustainable product that is worth fighting for,” he said. “I call on everyone here to set aside your personal ambitions and keep our industry united.”
Held over three days in Båstad, Sweden, FEFPEB’s 73rd congress welcomed approximately 200 delegates from the European and international wood pallet and packaging sector. The event was themed The Wood Packaging Industry in a Resilient Europe.
Speakers at the congress included:
Viveka Beckeman, CEO of Swedish Forest Industries, who spoke about the size, value and position of Sweden’s forestry industry;
Geopolitical analyst Björn Fägersten, who presented on external developments that could affect the wood pallet and packaging sector in the coming months;
Nikhil M Varghese, Circular Economy Director at DGA Group, who discussed FEFPEB’s latest advocacy work on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), along with the status of the new rules, which became applicable on 12 August 2026;
Christina Lundgren of Svenska PEFC and Jan Ihre of Forest Stewardship Council Sweden, who discussed forestry certification schemes, with Mathias Fridholm, Senior Advisor at Svenskt Trä (Swedish Wood), as moderator;
Christian Nielsen, market expert at Svenskt Trä and Swedish Forest Industries, who provided an outlook on timber availability in key global markets; and
FEFPEB Secretary General Fons Ceelaert, who updated delegates on the federation’s future strategy, working groups, lobbying activities and more.
The congress programme also featured a welcome reception and dinner at Hotel Skansen in Båstad, followed by a day exploring the Swedish pallet and packaging industry. Visits included the production facilities of Älskånga Pallen AB and Södra, as well as a commercial forest.
During the forest visit, delegates learned about the sector’s operations, including tree species with the potential to absorb greater volumes of carbon, the wide range of sustainable consumer products that can be produced from forests, and modern forest management practices. The programme concluded with a dinner at the historic Norrviken gardens estate, which spans 14 hectares and overlooks the Kattegat Sea.
Secretary General Ceelaert said: “This is the 73rd time that delegates have met for a FEFPEB congress and, thanks to our collaboration with Swedish Wood, it was one of the best-attended, most informative and most enjoyable programmes we have run.
“The challenges our industry is facing are becoming more complex and international in nature, and together we achieve far more by working together, speaking with one clear voice and making the best possible use of our collective expertise and resources. Since it was founded in 1946, FEFPEB’s mission has been to bring our sector together, share ideas, and represent our common interests consistently wherever decisions affecting our future are being made.”
For more information on FEFPEB, see www.fefpeb.eu
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