The European Parquet Federation (FEP) successfully held its 70th General Assembly (GA) and 50th Parquet Congress on 12 June 2026 in Madrid, gathering more than 90 Members from across Europe to review market developments, assess ongoing policy initiatives, and define strategic priorities for the sector.
As said by Lorenzo Onofri, FEP Chairman, during his opening speech: “Reaching a seventieth edition is much more than a symbolic milestone. We 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. The challenges before us are significant.”
Market Stabilisation With Early Signs Of Recovery
The latest FEP statistics presented at the GA confirm that the European parquet market is beginning to stabilise after a difficult period. Following a sharp downturn in 2023 and a further decline in 2024, production in FEP countries increased by 5.87% in 2025, reaching nearly 59 million m2, which is still a historically low level (cf. the Executive Summary of the FEP Statistics Report 2025 in annex to this PR).
At the same time, consumption remained broadly flat at around 60.2 million m2 (-0.98%), reflecting a still fragile demand environment.
The market recovery is uneven, supported by reduced direct imports from China due to the Anti-Dumping measures (although at still injurious prices), shy improvements in construction and renovation activity, and continued strong position of parquet as a sustainable, bio-based material.
However, the sector continues to face significant challenges, including high energy and raw material costs, geopolitical uncertainties, and persistent competition from low-priced imports both from China and new countries of origin.
Strong EU Advocacy And Industry Positioning
The GA highlighted FEP’s active engagement at European level, particularly in a shifting policy landscape which tries to balance competitiveness, resilience, and decarbonisation.
Key developments include:
- Contribution to major EU initiatives, supporting industrial capacity and low-carbon materials,
- Continued advocacy on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), including its postponed implementation and simplification efforts,
- Active involvement in leading coalitions, including Wood4Real which aims at promoting the right use of the term “wood” or of a wood specie. “This initiative fits perfectly among the projects that should be encouraged and promoted by FEP, helping to bring clarity and transparency to a sector that is particularly vulnerable to misunderstanding and misrepresentation.”
Trade Defence And Fair Competition
A major milestone for the sector has been the implementation of definitive Anti-Dumping duties on Multilayer Wood Flooring from China (21.3%–36.1%), applicable for at least five years.
These measures have temporarily contributed to stabilising the market by addressing unfair pricing practices, although vigilance remains necessary to prolong this impact – including through an Anti-Absorption Investigation recently initiated by the EU Commission - and detect potential circumvention.
At the same time, ongoing trade tensions - particularly between the EU and the US - continue to create uncertainty for exporters and require close monitoring.
Looking Ahead
Despite ongoing challenges, the outlook for the parquet sector shows cautious optimism. The role of wood flooring in low-carbon construction, circularity, and sustainable buildings positions the industry well for future growth.
Closing the GA, FEP Chairman emphasised the importance of unity across the value chain and continued engagement with policymakers:
“While we cannot control global events, we can control how we respond to them. We can choose to stand together, defend our interests, strengthen our industry, and invest in its future.”
“The FEP Lounge at DOMOTEX, presented for the first time this year, was designed precisely with this objective: to bring people together, share ideas and experiences, foster a sense of community, and demonstrate that our organization is capable of addressing the challenges facing the sector and its Members and transforming them into opportunities. Encouraged by the positive outcomes, we decided to continue along this path and strengthen our commitment for the next DOMOTEX edition in January 2028.”
“The future of European parquet will not be determined by external circumstances alone. It will be determined by our capacity to work together, to defend our values, and to shape the future rather than simply react to it. Let us therefore use this anniversary not only to celebrate the achievements of the past seventy years, but also to reaffirm our commitment to the next seventy!”
The 71st FEP GA and 51st Parquet Congress will take place on 10 & 11 June 2027 in Split, Croatia.
FEP is taking this opportunity to thank its 2026 sponsors: HB Fuller, Neuhofer Holz, DOMOTEX/Deutsche Messe, and Vinavil/Mapei, for their appreciated support.
Full PR available here
