global challenges with european solutions: the fundamental ... · about efic –current members...
TRANSCRIPT
EFIA General AssemblyTartu, 26 October 2017
Global challenges with European solutions:
The fundamental role of EFIC
Ms. Roberta Dessí, Secretary General
Mr. Egil Sundet, Board member
Overview
About EFIC:- Members
- Structure
What EFIC does- EFIC role
- EFIC main activities
EFIC vision 2020- International challenges
- A strong European voice
WHO WE ARE
WHAT WE DO
OUR GOALS
About EFIC – current members
EFIC – the European Furniture Industries Confederation - is the voice of the jointlyunited European Furniture industries.
EFIC was founded in 2006 and now represents more than the 70% of the totalturnover of the furniture industries in Europe.
EFIC 2020: A strong furniture voice in Europe.
About EFIC - structure
EFIC is composed by:
• General Assembly• Board• Secretariat• Technical Working Group• Ad Hoc Task Forces• Rapporteurs
EFIC Board members (most of them)and EFIC Secretariat, June 2017
What EFIC does
Advocacy
Monitoring
Meetings & Events
Networking
• Monitoring
EFIC monitors and informs
New legislative proposalsPublic consultationsOpportunities e.g. projectsNewsletter
• Advocacy
EFIC defends and promotes
Active and reactive on issues of interestRegistered stakeholderExpert groups and consultative platformsEuropean voice
European Parliament, Plenary session
• Networking and exchange platform
EFIC promotes and supports
Information
Networking opportunities
Common projects
Exchange of practices
• Meetings & Events
EFIC organises
Annual eventBoard meetingsGeneral AssemblyCase meetings
Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU
EFIC’s main activities
Some concrete cases
The Case for
FLAME RETARDANT FREE FURNITURE
• Problems with existing fire safety regulations, standards and test methods
• Domestic vs Public/Contract Market
• Concern over the use of flame retardants: health, environment, competitiveness, fire safety
• Many EU-level discussions involved: Circular Economy, Non-Toxic Environmental Strategy, Fire Safety platform, Barriers to trade
The Case for
FLAME RETARDANT FREE FURNITURESeveral actions, including:
• Legal complaint against UK and Ireland• Furniture for Green Public Procurement• Non-Toxic Environmental Strategy• Regular informative newsletter
GPP criteria for furniture products, 2017
New limits on hardwood dust
• Change in exposure limit values for hardwood dust under the Revision of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD)
• EFIC active in lobbying the European Parliament and Council of the EU
• Revision took place in 2017 – formal adoption by the end of the year
• New limits will be applied to furniture companies all over Europe
French draft regulation on VOC labelling
• New French regulation on formaldehyde emissionfrom furniture products notified to the EuropeanCommission (January 2017)
• High concern: requirements for testing, extremely lowemission classes, very high costs and lack of chambercapacity
• EFIC presented comments to European Commissionand Member States
• Reactions from Italy, Latvia, Poland, Spain, UnitedKingdom, Austria, Commission, Germany
• France has not yet adopted legislation - revisinginternal strategy
New mandatory furniture standards in China
• Notified to the WTO in 2015
• EFIC and IKEA presented technical, legal, economic analysis
• European Union raised the market access case towards Chinese representatives at WTO
• EU- China discussion ongoing
• China has not yet adopted the mandatory standards and asked for a technical discussion with European experts
• European Union (EC) will facilitate the discussion
Circular Economy
• Priority of the European Commission
• Shortage of resources: change from linear to circular
• Important for the furniture industry- Use of chemicals in products- Extended producers responsibility (EPR) scheme- Increase recyclability, refurbishment, reuse- Eco-design
• This year (2017): interphase chemical, production and waste; waste directives
European Social Dialogue Furniture
• Organised by European Commission 3 times/year
• Furniture employers association and trade unions
• Opportunities for projects
• Main topics
o Ageing workforce
o Apprenticeship opportunities
o Education and skilled labour
o Social Partners common topics and positions
o DIGIT-FUR and Bolster-up II projects
International cooperation
10th Deco 2017 Conference in Tehran, Iran
The Iran National Council of Furniture,Decoration and Correlated Industriesinvited EFIC members to take part to the10th International Conference on “WorldTrade in Furniture, Design, Art, Decorationand Correlated Industries” (DECO 2017)in Tehran, Iran.
The Conference will take place on 3rd
December and the Iranian Association willoffer travel and accommodation costs for upto 2 guests for each EFIC memberassociation.
Background EFIC vision 2020
International challenges and European solution
• Global competition
• Increasing protectionism/Market access problems
• Limited natural resources
• Environmental demands and circular economy
• Ageing workforce
• Skilled workers
• Consumers demands for sustainable and economic products
• Not-fully harmonised European internal market
EFIC vision 2020
The European Furniture Industry position towards European and global challenges
1. EFIC is a strong, proactive, working independent and efficient confederation
2. EFIC is representing the main furniture producing countries in Europe
3. EFIC is recognised and well established as the voice of furniture industry in Europe
4. EFIC has a positive reputation and image in the furniture industry
5. EFIC can concretely avoid negative upcoming conditions for the furniture industry
6. EFIC sets own initiatives to support the furniture industry
7. EFIC is a clear advocacy organization
8. EFIC is efficiently organised and responsibilities are spread between the President and rapporteurs appointed for specific topics
Furniture Growth Agenda
EFIC vision 2020: A strong furniture voice in Europe
EFIC vision 2020
EFIC membership categories
Full membersAssociated
membersPartners
National EU/EEA federations
Furniture producers only
Single companies
Federations from not-EU/EEA country
Furniture producers only
Partners and sponsors“Suppliers or others willing to support EFIC work”
No conflict of interests
EFIC vision 2020
We invite EFIA and Estonian furniture companies to be members of EFICFor a stronger and representative furniture industry in Europe!
Questions?
Contacts:
[email protected]@norskindustri.no
[email protected]+32 (0)2 287 08 [email protected] –www.efic.eu
Follow EFIC on:
Twitter: @Efic_Bxl
LinkedIn: @EFIC – the European
Furniture Industries Confederation
Thank you