International Pallet Conference on 12 March 2024 in Barcelona

International Pallet Conference on 12 March 2024 in Barcelona

On 12 March 2024, EPAL held the international conference "The wooden pallet in Spain and Europe" in Barcelona. More than 50 participants from EPAL's Spanish licensees as well as representatives of Spanish trade associations and other EPAL member associations discussed current topics in the wood packaging and pallet industry.

The Presidents of EPAL, Dirk Hofer and Jarek Maciążek, as well as Ramón Trujillo, Manager of EPAL Spain, informed the participants about current economic developments and their impact on the pallet market and the EPAL pallet pool.

A currently important topic for the entire wood packaging industry is the new legal regulations for packaging and packaging waste.

Bernd Dörre, CEO of EPAL, presented the latest state of the legislative process on the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), and Jordi Picas, Head of Infrastructure Management of the Waste Agency of Catalonia, supplemented this with explanations of Spanish regulations on packaging and waste that will apply from the end of 2024. Josep Jane, President of Ecophir, explained the new requirements for packaging manufacturers as part of the extended producer responsibility.

Olga Moro-Coco, CEO of the Federation of the Spanish Wood Industry (FEIM), presented the provisions of the European Regulation for the Prevention of Deforestation (EUDR) that will come into force at the end of 2024 and explained what new obligations this will also entail for the wood industry.

With so many new legal requirements for companies in the pallet and wood packaging industry, innovation in the wood industry is more important than ever. Michael Brand, Head of the EPAL Innovation Lab, presented the new EPAL Euro Pallet QR and explained how EPAL supports pallet producers in integrating inkjet printing and QR code printing into the production of EPAL pallets.

The conference was rated by all participants as very informative and an important platform for strengthening the pallet industry's advocacy with regard to the numerous new legal regulations and obligations. EPAL will continue to organize such conferences in Spain and other countries in the future.