Fibre Excellence faces court hearing as unions warn of job losses

The French pulp‑paper group Fibre Excellence, which employs about 670 workers across plants in Haute‑Garonne and Bouches‑du‑Rhône, has been placed in judicial recovery since late April. A decisive hearing before the commercial court in Toulouse is scheduled for mid‑June, where the fate of the two remaining French paper‑pulp factories will be decided.

Regional officials and trade unions have condemned what they see as a “beginning of abandonment” by the state. Industry minister Sébastien Martin told parliament the only takeover proposal on the table lacks a “real industrial investor.” Occitanie President Carole Delga and local leaders warned that the loss of Fibre Excellence would jeopardise a sector that supports more than 10,000 jobs nationwide. Union leaders also noted interest from a Canadian paper group, which they fear could further threaten the French pulp industry.

The outcome of the court hearing will determine whether the company can be rescued or if its closure will lead to significant job losses in the region.