The UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) latest update on forest products consumption shows sawn timber consumption in 2012 was 2.9% down on 2011, while for wood-based panels the reduction was 0.8%.
This contrasts with growth of 7.1% and 1.6% respectively in North America and 3% and 2.5% in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The UNECE said building permits in Europe fell 57% between 2006 and 2013, with the value of residential construction expected to show a slight increase in 2014.
The UNECE figures show a large growth of forest product consumption and production in Turkey, with the country now Europe’s fourth largest consumer of sawn softwood and particleboard.
Turkey also produces and consumes more MDF than any other European country.
