Summary: France, by all figures is the second superpower within European Community. The last decade the growth of domestic gross product depasses the majority of other members of the Union. The trade balance as well as balance of payments is unmistakenly positive, there where comes to red figures, France confronts very aggressive, mobile and diversified economy whose productivity grows by rate beyond average in the EU. The young French generation of businessmen, so called “Yappies” has created the immense industry based on brain, the consequences is hard to foresee. The mechanical transformation of timber, except lumbering, which encompasses semi-finished products for construction, veneers, wood based boards, packaging as well as final consumption products such as furniture and furnishing, by all means seems being out of recession, and is marching forward. The reason for such a development lies in clever governmental policy of promotion of cheap housing mortgage loans, which is the engine for growth of forest products demand. It seems realistic the notion that France is moving in the right direction to overcome its conservative attitude toward its agriculture, which seems keeps pace towards significant positive changes. Regardless of striving towards high productivity, in this country is nevertheless guarded the cult of living without too much hurry, there is even a movement “Eat slowly” as a contrast to Mcdonald´s “Fast food”. In the sector of pulp and paper, France is heavily dependent upon imports of pulp, old paper, as well as upon various kinds of paper and cardboard. It is no wonder, first, France has relativelly smaller quantities of coniferous timber, secon, by all probability the ecologically conscious Franch try as much as possible to avoid the pollution resulting from pulp production. Nevertheless, the strong papaer industry enters heavily into the growing concentration of global dimension. The new industries have been born, the second best would be difficult to find. The secon behind Germany, in growing ties with it, France is emerging as more and more important factor of EU and world economy. The information on France´s semi-finished wood products industries, final consumption wood pro-ducts industries, as well as pulp and paper industries is supposed to give to the Croatian foresters and to other interested, a certain impuls in the search for solutions of the development problems of ours own.
Key words: Final consumption wood products industries; Pulp and paper industries; Semi-finished wood products industries |
