The French paper industry is going through a critical phase marked by a surge in closures and industrial weakening. Since the beginning of 2024, 7 of the country's 81 paper mills have ceased operations, while several major sites are currently under court-ordered restructuring or in conciliation proceedings. This trend is worrying industry stakeholders, who are raising concerns about its consequences for jobs, sovereignty, and regional development. Copacel emphasizes that this industrial decline is occurring even though paper and cardboard remain strategic materials for the ecological transition. Derived from a renewable resource and widely recycled, they are part of the circular economy and are gaining importance compared to plastic packaging. The decline in competitiveness of French sites is therefore more likely due to international pressure than a contraction in demand. Among the identified factors are global overcapacity, low-cost competition, trade tensions, and structural disadvantages (production taxes, energy costs, and regulatory complexity). The organization is therefore calling for a rapid strengthening of reindustrialization policies, including protection of the European market, regulatory simplification, reduced costs, and better utilization of the French energy mix. It believes that, without coordinated action, the long-term viability of a portion of the paper industry could be permanently jeopardized.