FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
U.S. MISSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Last update: December 3, 2008

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EU Measures for Wood Packaging Material

Debarking

Wood with bark may be pathway for the introduction and spread of some quarantine pests.  The level of pest risk depends on a number of factors such as the pest, commodity type (e.g. round wood, sawn wood, wood chips), origin and any treatment applied to the wood.

Council Directive 2000/29/EC lays down phytosanitary measures to prevent the introduction of pests associated with wood packaging material (WPM) into the EU.  On October 5, 2004, the European Commission published Commission Directive 2004/102/EC amending Directive 2000/29/EC.  This directive contains the requirement that all WPM must be made from debarked wood.

A number of WTO members have expressed their concerns about the scientifically unjustified debarking requirement to the EU.  Under ISPM 15, the current international standard established by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), only two pest control measures are approved: heat treatment and fumigation by methyl bromide.  The methyl bromide treatment was modified in 2006 and IPPC is currently working on a standard on how to replace or reduce the use of Methyl Bromides as a phytosanitary measure.

On February 28, 2005, the Agriculture Council formally adopted the Commission's proposal to delay implementation of the debarking requirement with one year (published as Council Directive 2005/15/EC in Official Journal L 56).  Commission Directive 2006/14/EC further postpones the application of the debarking requirement until January 1, 2009, to allow the IPPC time to evaluate the merits of a debarking requirement. 

On February 28, 2005, the Agriculture Council formally adopted the Commission's proposal to delay implementation of the debarking requirement with one year (published as Council Directive 2005/15/EC in Official Journal L 56).  Commission Directive 2006/14/EC further postpones the application of the debarking requirement until January 1, 2009, to allow the IPPC time to evaluate the merits of a debarking requirement. 

The European Commission revisited the January 1, 2009 postponement date on the September 2007 meeting, and the decision was made to allow revision of the ISPM 15 to proceed and accept the guidelines put forth in the revised ISPM after adoption by IPPC, Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CCPM).  The bark-free requirement is at present postponed until July 1, 2009 (Commission Directive 2008/109/EC).

The latest on the consultation on draft ISPMs and the regular process, as well as the amendments to ISPM no.5 and a glossary are available on the IPPC website.

- "EU votes to delay debarking requirement for wood packaging material" (GAIN report E36020)

- Harmful organisms emergency measures - European Commission website
 

 

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