FINAT Radar #29 Q3-2025: Label market is expected to maintain a cautiously positive trajectory

As the autumn of 2025 unfolds, the atmosphere across Europe feels both reflective and restless. The industry is catching its breath after an intense year — one defined by volatility, resilience, and transition. Budget season is upon us once again, and many of our members are navigating the delicate balance between caution and ambition. Hopefully the 29th edition of the FINAT RADAR provides some guidance.

In this issue, we continue the conversation started in our recent blog ‘Navigating the New Normal’. The keynote message from the European Label Forum resonated deeply: the uncertainty we face today is not an exception, but the new baseline. Geopolitics, regulation, and shifting consumer behaviour are now constant forces shaping our business environment. For many label converters and suppliers, planning for 2026 means embracing complexity — managing cost volatility, diversifying supply chains, investing in automation, and staying ahead of sustainability mandates that evolve faster than ever.

Yet, as our Managing Director reflected in his piece ‘From Labelexpo to LOUPE’, this year has also shown the strength of our community. The final edition of Labelexpo Europe symbolised both an ending and a new beginning. Its successor, LOUPE, will carry forward the same spirit of connection, learning, and collaboration — a reminder that in a fragmented world, our industry’s unity remains our greatest asset.

The previous edition of this RADAR highlighted a sector in recalibration — adapting to new market realities while keeping its eyes on the horizon. That spirit continues. In the months ahead, FINAT will remain the industry’s anchor, offering the clarity, knowledge, and collective strength that companies need to make informed, confident decisions.

Our plans for 2026 reflect this mission:

• Market intelligence: We have commissioned Euromonitor to conduct an objective analysis of non-European import flows. This initiative aims to provide validated insight into sourcing trends, trade composition, and the long-term evolution of material supply into Europe.
• Education: Through FINAT’s e-learning programmes, we aim to provide continuous professional development for converters, suppliers, and young professionals entering the industry.
• Standardisation: Our Technical Handbook, now in its 11th edition - with 31 globally acknowledged test methods, continues to be a fundamental building block of quality assurance in the label industry, providing clarity in various testing protocols.
• Sustainability: Together with our partners, we are working toward the harmonisation of CO₂-footprint calculation methods, enabling consistent and comparable data across the value chain.
• Advocacy and collaboration: FINAT will continue to monitor, represent, and defend the common interests of the European label community in Brussels and beyond.

These initiatives all serve one purpose: to keep our industry informed, connected, and empowered. In times of uncertainty, data and dialogue are our compass. FINAT stands ready to help the European label industry not only navigate the new normal — but shape it.