Signatory: Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI)

Signatory: European Recovered Paper Association (ERPA)

Signatory: European Federation of Corrugated Manufacturers (FEFCO)

Supporter: European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD)

Supporter: European Paper Merchants Association (EUGROPA)

Supporter: International Confederation for Printing and Allied Industries (INTERGRAF)

Observer: European Commission of the European Union

The aim of the European Declaration is to increase the level of paper recycling in Europe, to achieve a recycling rate of 56% by 2005, and to further improve the environmental performance of the industry. More concretely, the Signatories of the European Declaration on Paper Recovery commit themselves to achieve the following:

Further reduce the generation of residues during all processes in the paper and board life-cycle.

Further improve the efficient use of raw and auxiliary materials.

Optimise collection systems by sharing expertise with those responsible for collecting recovered paper for recycling purposes.

Improve technical, operational and environmentally benign solutions by stimulating and supporting research and development.

Improve awareness of paper recycling by informing consumers about their role in closing the paper loop.

Finally, the Signatories agree to take the necessary measures to ensure that by 2005 56% of paper and board products consumed in Europe are recycled.

Taking into account the expected increases in paper and board consumption, the ambitious target of a 56% recycling rate for 2005 would mean that the amount of paper and board recycled would be about 25% higher than it was in 1999. In real terms, an additional 10 million tonnes or so of recovered paper will be recycled by the European Paper and Board Industry by 2005, increasing the total amount of paper recycled per year from 38.8 million tonnes in 1999 to approximately 49 million tonnes in 2005.

Through the European Declaration the industry makes a voluntary commitment to contribute to sustainable development in line with the overall policies of the European Community. As long as the industry shows progress at meeting its self-imposed targets, then it argues that no additional legislation in the field of paper recovery and recycling is needed. The overall targets are met most efficiently when the industry is free to adapt to the needs of the individual markets and to the differentiated structure within Europe, guided by the European Declaration.

The transparent and credible follow-up of voluntary self-commitments is of key importance. In order to monitor the progress towards the set targets, a European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC) was set up. It aims to establish an open platform for interested parties to follow-up the achievements with regard to the targets set out in the European Declaration and its related topics.

According to the by-laws, the tasks of the ERPC are to:

Co-ordinate the commitments of the Signatories.

Provide evidence of progress achieved.

Discuss all relevant matters regarding the successful operation of the European Declaration.

Co-ordinate public information on the achievements of the European Declaration thereby encouraging education on paper recovery and recycling.

Provide annual reports.

The Annual reports will include details of measures taken, progress made (with specific quantification when applicable) and verifiable information on the fulfilment of the commitments of the European Declaration. However, the industry alone cannot provide continuous progress. Therefore, one major task for the ERPC is to establish an open platform to discuss topics related to the fulfilment and monitoring of the European Declaration.

The first annual report was published in the autumn of 2001.

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