19.04.2024
The first 2024 Marketing Commission meeting was held by videoconference last Tuesday.
As usual, this meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the commercial situation, news from the marketing programme and forthcoming events in the timber industry.
Below are the main points discussed, with the full minutes available to ATIBT members on request.
Preparations for the Carrefour International du Bois
The ATIBT has been preparing for several months for the next Carrefour International du Bois, which will take place in Nantes from 28 to 30 May. Cameroon will have pride of place on the ATIBT stand, with the presence of a delegation of representatives from the Cameroonian forestry and timber industry.
The event will also provide an opportunity to raise the profile of the Fair&Precious collective.
The website of CIB is https://www.timbershow.com/
Proposals and discussions on strategic points
The commission's usual round-table discussion provided an opportunity to take stock of members' key issues, highlighting the continuing difficulties despite the fact that the situation has stabilised. After an overview of the various markets, a discussion on relations with the authorities in the Congo Basin returned to the thorny issue of taxation.
Regarding regulations, after a review of the EUDR, the CITES issue was addressed: the ATIBT has been accredited to organise a meeting from 14 to 19 June in Douala on African rosewood. This will provide an opportunity for more general discussions with CITES. The aim is to become a credible interlocutor and to shed light on the dynamics of species. It is gratifying that the Chambre Syndicale de la Facture Instrumentale has joined the ATIBT, as it has experience of debates in the field of species protection.
Information on the progress of the F&P programme
In recent months, the tools developed in the framework of Fair&Precious have been mobilised for the benefit of two projects implemented by the ATIBT: Appui au Secteur Privé (ASP) Congo and ASP Green Deal Cameroun, both funded by the European Union.
A draft of a short film on the challenges facing the Congolese forestry and timber industry, edited with images of the Congo taken during filming in 2022, was also presented to the committee: we will be sharing it more widely once it has been finalised.
The meeting ended with an update on current projects, including the resumption of the "Cahier des Clauses Techniques Particulières - CCTP" project.
