Concrete actions are needed to address the increasingly critical supply of raw materials to European industries. This includes the raw materials of the European paper industry: The push for renewable energies calls for a biomass supply policy across Europe, taking the use of wood as raw material as a priority, CEPI writes. The massive exports of recovered paper collected in Europe to east Asian markets is a second reason why raw material policy is needed. The Commission communication addresses both issues.However, CEPI points out that EU has to keep a clear focus while addressing intrinsically different markets of raw materials, energy and agricultural commodities.The European pulp and paper industry’s raw material base is in Europe. Because of their renewable nature they are much sought-after. A strategy for the sustainable supply of wood and biomass is therefore needed, including concrete measures for raw materials mobilisation from European primary and secondary sources. The promotion of the resource hierarchy principle, whereby raw materials are used first to deliver added value in products, would bring consistency in EU policies, according to CEPI.“Facilitating access to raw materials that end up in subsidy-based, unsustainable business models does not make sense,” said Teresa Presas, CEPI’s Managing Director. “Instead, the priority access should be for industries that use the resources efficiently and contribute to the EU 2020 competitiveness and climate change goals.”