A standard logo is soon to promote natural stone products throughout Europe. An appropriate recommendation by Euroroc received a favourable response at the so-called D-A-CH three-country meeting of the national industry associations of Germany, Austria and Switzerland in August 2004.

As everyone knows, the European natural stone industry is fighting increasing competition from inside and outside the industry. On the one hand, ever larger amounts of low-cost natural stone products arrive on the world market from low-wage countries China, India or Brazil and expose the European producers to growing price pressure.

On the other hand, the cast stone, ceramic and stoneware industries increasingly offer products that look exactly like such products of natural stone and cause confusion on the market.

So a trademark is now to be introduced for clear identification of real natural stone. As reported by Euroroc secretary Gerd Merke, a firm proposal from the Czech natural stone association was passed as recommended in the member countries during the last Euroroc conference in Helsinki at the beginning of August.

The logo shows a stylized rough block cut from a rock with the lettering »Natural Stone«, a term that can be translated into various languages.

All the association representatives from the three countries at the D-A-CH meeting supported the introduction of the logo. It is now up to the responsible bodies of the national associations to agree and approve the necessary expenditure.