WEI General Assembly 2021 postponed
It is with regret that due to the ongoing pandemic and continued travel restrictions across Europe, it has been decided to postpone the WEI Annual Meeting that was scheduled for September 2021. A new date for September 2022 will be sought.
The current (slow) vaccination strategy in many countries and the continued political discussion over vaccination passports make it enormously difficult to prepare and plan an event in September 2021 that gathers participants from all over Europe.
We are very hopeful we will re-schedule this Milan congress during September 2022.
WEI Webinar IED/BREF – 23 March 2021
Following the success of our recent BPR webinar, WEI has arranged our next webinar for the Tuesday 23th March 2021 at 10h30 CET to introduce members to:
IED Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document on Surface Treatment Using Organic Solvents including Preservation of Wood and Wood Products with Chemicals (WPC)
Our speakers will be Willie Clason – WEI Convenor Regulatory Affairs and Dr. Chris Coggins – EWPM (both represented our sector in the EIPPCB technical working group in Seville). The webinar will be for one hour when the new WPC BREF will be introduced and Best Available Conclusions explained.
This webinar will be of interest to WEI members who are responsible for treatment installation permitting under the scope of the Industrial Emissions Directive. Members whose capacity falls outside the IED BREF are also welcome as Chris and Willie will also be launching our European Code of Practice (2021) for the safe design and operation of treatment installations.
Register via: Register for the IED-BREF webinar on 23 March 2021
Public Consultation on Creosote
ECHA has recently announced a public consultation on derogation to the exclusion criteria for PT08 Active – Creosote with a deadline 30th March 2021.
WEI’s Regulatory Affairs WG has prepared and submitted a position paper (see attached). WEI’s position is unchanged since the December 2019 public consultation and WEI recommends that creosote be authorised for the purposes of treatment of REACH Annex XVII (Regulation 552/2009) permitted uses for which authorisation is sought for a further 5 years with a further review after that time.
We urge WEI stakeholders to participate in this consultation either via your National Association or as an individual or business. This will be the final public consultation ahead of the Biocidal Products Committee’s decision to renew the approval of creosote as a PT08 active substance by 30th October 2021.
WEI will organise a webinar on Monday 19 April where Creosote Council Europe will present to update members on BPR Approval and authorisation process for the purposes of treatment of REACH Annex XVII (Regulation 552/2009) permitted uses for which authorisation is sought.
EU’s Renovation wave
Background information: After the publication of the Strategy in October by the European Commission, the Council of the EU, chaired by the Portuguese presidency, is planning to adopt its conclusions on 22 June 2021. The Portuguese Presidency is already working on draft Conclusions by gathering inputs from Member States. Preparatory discussions and consultations will be held within the Energy Working Parties on 4 March, 15 March and 30 March 2021.
CEI-Bois, of which WEI is a member, has started to meet the Permanent Representations of Member States in Brussels in order to convey the key requests of the wood sector:
- The Renovation Wave should not just focus on the energy consumed by buildings, but should also recognise the potential of the existing European housing stock and wider built environment to become a ‘new’ carbon sink, as already mentioned by President von der Leyen. Emissions of GHG gases are not only linked to the operational energy use of a building. The materials added during renovation or new construction also cause CO2 emissions during their production, use and end of life phase. The potential to reduce emissions over the lifecycle and stock carbon in renovation works by using wood should be assessed at EU level.
- Wood prefabricated solutions also offer modular possibilities to redesign and modernise buildings in a non-invasive way, for example through additional storeys or roof extensions, and overall offer the possibility to “build back better” or repurpose buildings after the Covid-19 crisis.
According to the Portuguese presidency, the Council conclusions will mention three aspects of the renovation wave: the social pillar (with a focus on energy poverty and possibly an extensive definition of “renovation”), the economic pillar, the energy pillar. They also mean to emphasize the importance of circular and sustainable materials, and the link with the 2050 and 2030 decarbonisation goals.
The Renovation Wave Strategy is available HERE
For reminder the Joint CEI-Bois/EOS/EPF/EFBWW/FEP Position Paper is available HERE.
WEI AGENDA
- 23 March – IED BREF Training session
- 19 April – 14h00 – Webinar on Creosote
- 19 April – 15h30 – Executive Committee meeting (via MS Teams, invitations to follow)
