By implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1137 , the Commission amended, with effect from 01 October 2018, the procedure for the control of wooden packaging materials used for the transport of certain goods originating in Belarus and the People’s Republic of China. Due to technical coordination, however, the plant protection services of the federal states decided to implement the provisions of the resolution only from 01.11.2018. Wood materials from certain third countries pose a high phytosanitary risk for the European Union. The extension of the control arrangements is intended to prevent the introduction of dangerous plant pests more effectively.
Strong expansion of control systems
In addition to the general extension of the control arrangements, the list of specified goods subject to the control arrangements has also been extended. Whereas previously only goods with five different code numbers were affected, there are now already 48 code numbers. The codes are affected in detail:
| 2514 00 00
2515 2516 4401 4415 4418 4421 4504 90 80 |
4823 90 85
6501 00 6801 00 00 6802 6803 00 6810 6811 40 6902 00 |
6904 00
6905 00 6906 00 6907 6912 00 23 6912 00 83 7108 13 80 7110 19 80 |
7210
7304 31 20 7304 41 00 7313 00 7317 00 7318 7415 8101 96 |
8102 96
8205 90 10 8407 33 20 8407 33 80 8424 49 10 8424 82 90 8424 89 40 8424 89 70 |
8465 93
8467 29 51 8544 19 00 8544 49 91 8708 30 10 8708 40 20 8708 91 20 8708 92 20 |
Packaging consisting exclusively of wood-based materials such as plywood, chipboard or OSB boards and not covered by the International Standard ISPM 15 continues to be excluded from the control systems. These are wooden packages which have already been treated and debarked against pest infestation prior to import from third countries.
Customs clearance procedure
The new rules provide that airport and port authorities and other official bodies responsible for the control of the movement of goods or any operator involved in the importation of specified goods containing wood packaging material will in future notify the customs office of entry and the responsible official body in advance of the imminent arrival of the wood packaging material as soon as they become aware of it.
In addition, the wood packaging material of the specified goods will now be subject to regular phytosanitary inspections. It is for each Member State to determine a sampling percentage. The percentage may not be less than one percent. Pending the completion of the phytosanitary checks, both the packaging material and the specified goods shall remain under customs supervision in order to ensure that the free movement of those goods within the territory of the Union does not give rise to phytosanitary risks.
Should plant health checks show that the packaging materials of the specified products from Belarus and China do not comply with the applicable rules or are contaminated by certain harmful organisms, Member States shall ensure that the wood packaging materials concerned are destroyed as intended. Importers of the products listed above should therefore be prepared for any possible delay in handling their products.
