James Cropper targets luxury market at Edition Spéciale
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Material manufacturers, UPM and Sappi, have reached the next stage of their Joint Venture which was first announced in December last year
International paper manufacturer and supplier, UPM, has announced Phase II of the Joint Venture it formed with fellow paper producer, Sappi, in December 2025.
The two companies signed a non-binding letter of intent in December to create the Joint Venture, in response to structural changes in the European graphic paper industry.
At the time of the first announcement, UPM and Sappi said the graphic paper venture would operate as an independent company which would be managed internally with resources and decisions agreed within shareholders boundaries.
The European Commission has now announced the opening of a Phase II investigation, a standard step in the Commission’s merger review process in cases where initial concerns have not been fully resolved during Phase I.
The proposed transaction is subject to merger control approval from the European Commission and authorities in other jurisdictions such as the US and China.
According to UPM, it continues to engage openly and constructively with the Commission during the second part of the process to address the initial concerns set out in the Commission’s Phase II opening decision.
UPM says that it “remains convinced of the Joint Venture’s benefits to customers and the entire industry by strengthening the resilience of European graphic paper supply in declining markets.”
UPM has also been included as the only company in its sector in the Dow Jones World and European Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for 2025–2026.
The DJSI evaluates thousands of the world's largest companies based on environmental, social, and governance performance. Companies are evaluated through a rigorous Corporate Sustainability Assessment, and only the top-ranked in each industry are selected for inclusion.
Saara Tahvanainen, executive vice president for marketing, sustainability, and communications at UPM, says: “This recognition reflects the disciplined work we have done across our company for years.
“UPM offers a broad range of materials and solutions that hundreds of millions of people rely on every day. The renewable fibres, advanced materials, and decarbonisation solutions we offer transform supply chains and enable daily sustainable choices,”
Among its sustainable milestones, UPM’s Adhesive Materials arm has recently introduced the new ProCycle portfolio of recycling-compatible label solutions.
The portfolio aims to bring together advanced adhesive technologies and circular products in a coherent offer, to help converters and packaging brand owners select solutions that deliver recognised recyclability performance.
The label materials currently included in the portfolio are suited for rigid PET and HDPE packaging in beverage, food, and home and personal care applications. Adhesive technologies such as ‘wash-off’ ensure that materials separate cleanly during mechanical plastic recycling, including washing and grinding, supporting the supply of high-quality recycled materials.
