EC publishes study on impacts of introducing mandatory treatment requirements for wood packaging material

The whole of continental Portugal has been a Demarcated Area (DA) for pinewood nematode (PWN) since May 2008; three PWN outbreaks have occurred in Spain close to the Portuguese border, and these areas are applying strict eradication measures. Portugal and the DAs in Spain are subject to emergency measures to prevent the further spread of PWN, which include compulsory heat treatment (HT) according to the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15 for all newly produced and circulating wood packaging material (WPM) leaving the DAs. Since 2008, several interceptions of PWN-infested susceptible pine wood, WPM and bark coming from Portugal have been notified to the Commission by other Member States (MS).
The Food Chain Evaluation Consortium (FCEC) has analysed the potential economic, social and environmental impacts of introducing the obligation to treat WPM circulating within the EU – and in particular pallets, the focus of the study - in compliance with ISPM 15. The study also assesses the costs of kiln drying (KD) pallets in addition to performing HT (What's new on DG Health & Consumers website, 23 April 2013).