PAA president John De Little said: "We felt that wasnt something we could accept. We wouldnt have the same status as we had before and didnt want to split up our membership."
CPI director of external affairs Kathy Bradley said: "We realised it was going
to be hard to develop a model to suit all existing members. Our brief was to develop a model to serve the industry well into the future. The only way to bring that about is by direct company membership."
The PAAs absence wouldnt dilute the CPIs power, she claimed, as bodies representing the papermaking, tissue, recovered paper and corrugated packaging sectors had all found a way to accommodate the proposals.
PAA members will discuss their favoured route forward at a meeting in late January. De Little stressed that the PAA still supported the aim of creating a single industry voice.
