Chantemerle, 23 June 2005
News Release
EUROPEAN WOOL GROUPS MEET
How do we add value to wool? was the question facing sheep breeders, processors and wool users from 11 European countries as they met in Germany.
The meeting “ Wool Scouring in Europe: regional and ecological projects” was held in Bad Schandau, near Dresden, and was organised on May 27-28 by the European Wool Group to discuss issues facing the industry – particularly access to wool scouring facilities.
Wool is a renewable natural resource of great value. In Europe, several regional initiatives for local wool processing have been launched. Wool scouring, the first step in the processing chain, is necessary but at present difficult to be carry out for small lots or special fibres,…
Delegates of European sheep breeders' associations as well as EU-funded LEADER+ and INTERREG groups concerned by sheep and wool met with existing scouring processors at the event. Some of the most important scouring plants in Europe took part at the meeting, Traitex, Lane Botto and Nejdek Wool combing, as well as smaller ones from France and Austria. New small installations are also planned and all the participants shared their knowledge and experiences. General concepts for scouring methods, new small machines and effluent treatments were presented by the speakers.
Some wool handlers, spinners and wool processors followed the conference with interest too.
About 70 delegates attended from wool projects and businesses in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, UK and New-Zealand.
“The event was organised so wool projects could share best practice and explore ways of moving forward to the benefit of the economy in their regions,” said Marie-Therese Chaupin, Secretary of the European Wool Group. “The reducing number of small scouring and spinning and dyeing mills creates difficulties for sheep breeders who want to have their wool processed.”
The conference was organised with the support of the National Park and the LEADER+ of the region, the Sächsische Schweiz. The conference also visited the sheep centre and wool collection centre at Reichstadt and the ERWOTEX wool mill in Jöhstadt.
Delegates agreed to coordinate their efforts to propose the best solutions of scouring to the breeders, depending on the quantities and locations of the wool lots. The survey of the existing possibilities will be continued, trials will be made with small machines for different types of wool. They want to develop links via the internet and to explore a possible database and directory of processing facilities.
The crisis in the wool sector is acute now, and wool is slowly loosing its place among the textile fibres, in spite of its high natural value. Co-ordination and exchange of experiences, good relationship between all the links in the wool sector chain could perhaps help to find better technical solutions for processing and to propose a new, natural and attractive image of the wool to the public.
Contact:
Marie Therese Chaupin
European Wool Group
c/o Filature de Chantemerle
F-05330 Saint Chaffrey tel. 33/492.25.71.88