The European parquet industry is showing early signs of stabilisation after two years of contraction, although demand remains weak and the sector continues to face pressure from high costs, imports and regulatory uncertainty, the European Parquet Federation (FEP) said after its 70th General Assembly and 50th Parquet Congress, held on 12 June 2026 in Madrid.<\/p>\n
The event brought together more than 90 FEP members from across Europe to review market developments, assess EU policy files and set priorities for the sector.<\/p>\n
FEP Chairman Lorenzo Onofri said the anniversary meeting came at a time when the industry needed to defend its competitiveness while preparing for long-term change.<\/p>\n
\u201cReaching a seventieth edition is much more than a symbolic milestone,\u201d Onofri said in his opening speech. \u201cWe celebrate this remarkable history with pride. But we also gather with a clear awareness of our responsibility: the responsibility to preserve, develop, and pass on a strong and competitive industry to future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Production rises, but from a low base<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest FEP statistics show that parquet production in FEP countries increased by 5.87% in 2025, reaching nearly 59 million m\u00b2. The rebound follows a sharp fall in 2023 and a further decline in 2024, but output remains at a historically low level.<\/p>\n Consumption, meanwhile, remained almost unchanged at around 60.2 million m\u00b2, down 0.98% year-on-year. This points to a market that is no longer falling sharply, but where demand has not yet recovered in a convincing way.<\/p>\n FEP said the recovery remains uneven across Europe. Some support has come from reduced direct imports from China following anti-dumping measures, modest improvements in construction and renovation activity, and the continued position of parquet as a sustainable, bio-based flooring material.<\/p>\n However, the sector remains under pressure from high energy and raw material costs, geopolitical uncertainty and competition from low-priced imports, both from China and from new countries of origin.<\/p>\n Anti-dumping duties support market stabilisation<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most important developments for the sector has been the introduction of definitive EU anti-dumping duties on multilayer wood flooring from China. The duties range from 21.3% to 36.1% and will apply for at least five years.<\/p>\n FEP said the measures have helped stabilise the market by addressing unfair pricing practices. However, the federation warned that vigilance remains necessary, both to maintain the impact of the measures and to detect possible circumvention.<\/p>\n The European Commission has also initiated an anti-absorption investigation, aimed at assessing whether exporters are undermining the effect of the duties by lowering export prices.<\/p>\n Trade tensions between the EU and the US are another source of uncertainty for European parquet producers, especially for companies with exposure to export markets.<\/p>\n EUDR and EU industrial policy remain key issues<\/strong><\/p>\n FEP also underlined its continued engagement in EU policy discussions, at a time when Brussels is trying to balance competitiveness, industrial resilience and decarbonisation.<\/p>\n The federation has contributed to EU initiatives aimed at supporting industrial capacity and low-carbon materials. It is also continuing its advocacy work on the EU Deforestation Regulation, including the postponed implementation and current simplification efforts.<\/p>\n For the parquet industry, EUDR remains a sensitive issue because companies need workable rules, clear documentation requirements and a system that does not create disproportionate administrative costs for legal and sustainable European wood products.<\/p>\n FEP is also involved in the Wood4Real coalition, which promotes the correct use of the term \u201cwood\u201d and of wood species names. The federation said the initiative is important in a sector where wood-based products can be misrepresented or confused with non-wood alternatives.<\/p>\n Cautious optimism for the coming years<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite the difficult market context, FEP said the long-term outlook for parquet remains cautiously positive. Wood flooring is well positioned in low-carbon construction, circularity and sustainable buildings, particularly as European policy increasingly favours renewable and bio-based materials.<\/p>\n Onofri called for unity across the value chain and continued engagement with policymakers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we cannot control global events, we can control how we respond to them,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can choose to stand together, defend our interests, strengthen our industry, and invest in its future.\u201d<\/p>\n He also pointed to the FEP Lounge at DOMOTEX as part of the federation\u2019s effort to bring the industry together. First presented this year, the initiative will continue at the next DOMOTEX edition in January 2028.<\/p>\n \u201cThe future of European parquet will not be determined by external circumstances alone,\u201d Onofri said. \u201cIt will be determined by our capacity to work together, to defend our values, and to shape the future rather than simply react to it.\u201d<\/p>\n The 71st FEP General Assembly and 51st Parquet Congress will take place on 10 and 11 June 2027 in Split, Croatia.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99093,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n