The UEA is the European Furniture Manufacturers Federation. It was created in 1950 to promote co-operation among the furniture manufacturers in post-war Europe. Today, UEA supports furniture manufacturing in EU countries and exchange of information among European furniture federations. It involves national furniture associations from 7 EU countries.

The General Council of the UEA defines the priorities for the sector: current priorities are the sector internationalization and the use of the information and communication technologies within the European furniture sector.

The President, assisted by the Directors’ Board decides on the execution of the UEA policy and it is using a project-based approach to its activities with the creation of the necessary ad-hoc structure to address the issues. This allows to keep a limited structure centred around the basic tasks and main priorities as defined by the Council.

The UEA’s Objectives are to:

• Maintain and promote permanent contacts among the member organizations and to act as their voice towards other trade organizations, all EU authorities and other international organizations, ensuring the greatest possible influence on the rules, decisions and directives made or issued by international organizations and authorities.
• Support a systematic and a complete awareness among its members about industrial, technical, fiscal, economic, social and research problems related to the European furniture industry as well as about the regulations, decisions and directives related to the industry made at European and international level.
• Support links among EU furniture organizations to promote the sales in all markets.
• Maintain and strengthen a flow of information between the UEA member federations and the furniture industry at large.
• Promote training of personnel and, in general, to act as a provider of services for the furniture industry.
• Represent the employers in the EU Furniture Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee.