Paperboard Mills in European Union 2026: Industry Statistics & Trends

The paperboard mills industry in the European Union involves the manufacturing of various grades of cartonboard, containerboard, and packaging papers, shifting increasingly toward circular and recyclable solutions to replace plastic packaging. According to data from the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), overall European paper and board production decreased by 1.6% to approximately 77.37 million tonnes in 2025, following a temporary rebound of 5.2% in 2024. The industry faces an ongoing structural decline in graphic paper production, but packaging grades now dominate the landscape, representing 63.9% of the sector's total output in 2025.

Industry snapshot

Key public data points

Historical & forecast

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What does the Paperboard Mills in European Union industry cover?

The industry comprises facilities primarily engaged in manufacturing paperboard from pulp or recycled fiber, including containerboard, boxboard, and specialized industrial boards. These products serve as the raw material for secondary converters who manufacture corrugated boxes, folding cartons, and liquid packaging.

• •Classified under NACE Rev. 2 code 17.12, covering the formal manufacture of paper and paperboard across EU member states.
• •Scope isolates the primary production of rolls or sheets, excluding downstream conversion into finalized boxes or containers (NACE 17.2).
• •Includes both integrated mills that produce their own wood pulp and non-integrated mills utilizing purchased pulp or recycled fibers.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The European sector operates under a moderate-to-high concentration level, heavily populated by multinational paper groups alongside specialized regional mills. CEPI monitoring indicates that the total number of paper and board companies across reporting European nations dropped to 620 in 2025, operating 740 active mills.

• •The sector directly provided approximately 176,387 jobs across Europe in 2025, marking a 1.7% contraction from the prior year.
• •Total industry turnover was recorded at approximately 95 billion euros in 2025, reflecting a 5.1% drop due to soft pricing and industrial downturns.
• •Non-integrated paper and board mills accounted for 612 of the total operating mills in 2025, illustrating a high reliance on external fiber supply.

What drives demand in the industry?

Demand is heavily dictated by the health of the retail, e-commerce, and food-and-beverage manufacturing sectors requiring consumer packaging. While graphic grades continue to slide, the continuous shift away from single-use plastics toward fiber-based alternatives sustains long-term packaging demand.

• •Overall apparent paper and board consumption fell by 2.2% in 2025, driven heavily by a 7.9% plunge in graphic papers.
• •The sluggish cartonboard market dragged down general packaging demand by 3.5% in 2025, while transport-focused containerboard remained stable at a -0.2% change.
• •E-commerce requirements drive internal demand for corrugated boxes, which stabilizes the output of containerboard grades.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

The EU market features major domestic and multinational operators with extensive industrial assets spanning Scandinavia, Central Europe, and the Mediterranean. These public companies compete on cost-efficiencies, energy self-sufficiency, and advanced barrier coating innovations.

• •Stora Enso Oyj, a prominent Finnish-headquartered producer, commands significant paperboard and packaging market share across the EU.
• •Metsä Board Oyj, part of the Metsä Group, focuses heavily on premium lightweight fresh fiber paperboards for consumer goods.
• •Smurfit Westrock plc (formed via merger) operates as a dominant vertically integrated player with extensive EU containerboard mills.
• •Mondi plc runs an integrated network of mills across Europe specializing in containerboard and kraft paper grades.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The industry is navigating severe macroeconomic headwinds, including volatile European energy costs and supply chain destocking. Total production capacity reached 95.84 million tonnes in 2025, but actual operating utilization rates dropped significantly.

• •The mill operating rate dropped from 82.7% in 2024 to 80.7% in 2025, indicating significant unutilized capacity across Europe.
• •Packaging grades expanded their dominance, securing a 63.9% share of total paper and board output in 2025.
• •The industrial recycling loop remains strong, with European paper for recycling utilization reaching 51.90 million tonnes in 2025.

How is the industry regulated?

EU mills face stringent regulatory frameworks focusing on carbon reduction, circular economy mandates, and strict forestry sourcing. Operators must balance capital investments between immediate capacity modifications and heavy decarbonization technologies.

• •Compliance with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) compels mills to invest in biomass, electrification, and fossil-free energy configurations.
• •The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mandates rigorous geolocational tracking for all virgin wood fibers utilized in pulp and paperboard production.
• •The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) dictates strict recyclability criteria, accelerating the phase-out of plastic laminates on paperboard.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• CEPI Preliminary Statistics 2025 ·
• CEPI Key Statistics 2025 ·
• Eurostat Industrial Producer Price Indices 2026