FEFPEB PRESS RELEASE - March 18th, 2020
European Federation of Wooden Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) – a statement on COVID-19
COVID-19 is the largest challenge faced by society and public health for many years.
It is threatening businesses across the world, as the result of unavoidable measures taken to limit the movement of people and spreading the virus further. This situation is likely to intensify in the coming weeks.
President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen made it clear this week that we need coordinated measures to protect the health of European citizens, but also to ensure that essential goods – especially food and medicines - and services are able to flow freely.
As the crisis continues, the EC stipulates that EU Member States should give priority to freight traffic, ensure safe working conditions for transport workers and that no additional certification should be needed for goods legally circulating within the EU single market.
The European Federation of Wooden Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (Fédération Européenee des Fabricants de Palettes and Emballages en Bois – FEFPEB) is calling on governments across Europe to help ensure wooden packaging and pallets remain freely available throughout this crisis, to ensure that fast moving consumer goods (fmcg) and pharmaceutical supply chains are able to operate in a smooth and timely manner.
The government of each country has its own set of regulations for dealing with the COVID-19 crisis; our members and related business are adhering to these. However, we stress that they must support manufacturers of wooden pallets and packaging, and reconditioned pallet companies; pallet pools; sawmillers; and the logistics industry in general.
The EC has issued a set of guidelines on protecting health and keeping goods moving. These are available on its website at https://ec.europa.eu/. We urge all our members and operators in the supply chain to read these.
FEFPEB will continue to communicate with its members and the EC to ensure that supply chains are kept moving in order that essential goods continue to be available.
For more information, please contact: info@fefpeb.eu
Notes:
- The EC guidelines - COVID-19: Commission presents guidelines for border measures to protect health and keep goods and essential services available – are available at https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_468
- The European Federation of Wooden Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (Fédération Européenee des Fabricants de Palettes and Emballages en Bois – FEFPEB) represents European national timber packaging associations, including the pallet, lightweight packaging and industrial packaging sectors. It was established in 1946.
- It is a not for profit organisation, whose objectives include promotion of timber packaging and representing the interests of the European wooden pallet and packaging industry.
- National professional associations of wooden pallet and packaging manufacturers are full members of FEFPEB.
- Other companies involved in the industry, including suppliers of timber and timber blocks, machines and equipment are associated or individual members.
- The major European pallet pools (including EPAL, CHEP, LPR, IPP Logipal and PRS) are also part of FEFPEB.