di Massimo Medugno, general manager Assocarta
CEPI, the industry association representing the pulp and paper industry at European level has coorganised a kick off meeting for a CEN workshop on identifying standardisation needs for inter-EU trade on 27 June 2018 in Milan, Italy.
A three-month long process will follow where it is expected a “CEN workshop agreement” will be reached in early October.
The workshop is organised under the auspices of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) framework and supported by its member in Italy – UNI (Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione).
The kick-off meeting itself took place at the Federazione Carta e Grafica, the association representing the whole paper and board packaging chain in Italy.
Despite the EU gradually broadening and deepening its Single Market, new or changing technical regulations in different EU Member States have created indirect technical barriers to trade. This workshop will seek to best address solutions for combatting these barriers to frictionless trade in the EU, whilst ensuring a uniform, high level of consumer protection throughout the EU Member States.
«The fibre-based packaging chain has completely reviewed and revised its Industry Guideline for paper and board in contact with food. Through this process we have identified gaps and opportunities in European standardisation» said Jori Ringman, deputy director general of CEPI.
«This workshop will lay the groundwork for further harmonisation within the industry and is complimentary to the long-term voluntary work to set the standards for food safety in the sector».
In conjunction with its efforts on standardisation and in line with its commitment to ensure the highest quality industry standards CEPI and its value chain partners will also shortly publish the revised version of the Industry Guideline for the Compliance of Paper & Board Materials and Articles for Food Contact. The revised version is expected to be published in late September.
A great honor for Milan and for the Federazione Carta e Grafica inaugurate this initiative!