Is the EU to blame?

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An exchange of blows over the timber industry in the Waldviertel between industry and farmers - for some the prices are too high, for others too low. Both sides now see themselves at the limit.

Almost two thirds of the more than 200 domestic timber companies are located in the Waldviertel. And that doesn't seem to be an advantage at the moment. This is because timber prices in the forest-rich north of the country are up to 15 percent higher than the Austrian average, complains the relevant industry. The reason: there have been no windthrows this year, so there is little damaged timber on the market. Timber entrepreneur Günther Hahn from Rappottenstein explains the dilemma: "The companies have invested heavily in timber construction, so the demand for logs is high, but supply is scarce." This is driving up the price. The problem: competitors in other regions can buy cheaper - and therefore also produce more cheaply.

Numerous EU regulations mean a lot of effort and high personnel costs.

Franz Kirnbauer, Fachgruppenobmann der Holzindustrie in der NÖ-Wirtschaftskammer 

Tough years for forest owners
"The fact that there is only too little damaged wood is a shortened view of the tense situation," says Johannes Schmuckenschlager, President of the Chamber of Agriculture, rejecting the accusations of price gouging. In the years 2017 to 2021, bark beetles, windthrows and ice breaks made life and business difficult for forest owners: "At that time, timber prices were drastically low and the industry made huge profits, while family forestry businesses faced challenges."

Every euro invested in climate-friendly forest management is an investment in the future.

Johannes Schmuckenschlager, Präsident der Landwirtschaftskammerr NÖ

Together against expensive EU regulations
On the part of the timber industry, chairman Franz Kirnbauer also cites bureaucratic hurdles from the EU such as the deforestation regulation, supply chain law or renaturation as cost factors. He agrees with Schmuckenschlager: "We need to secure solutions for a sustainable future for forests and wood." There are probably still a lot of hard nuts to crack in Brussels