Appendix 1 - Plant Health Newsletter No. 15 (December 2003)

SUMMARY OF DOC 2003/1460Rev12: the “Wood Package”

Proposed Amendments to Council Directive 2000/29/EC, as notified to the WTO on 4 November 2003.

This summary has been prepared by the Plant Health Service of the Forestry Commission. It focuses on the main points and is not intended to be exhaustive. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions. The proposals are subject to final adoption and implementation following closure of the WTO SPS consultation procedure on 15 January 2004. It is proposed that the amendments will come into effect on 1 July 2004¹.

Comments may be made to the National Plant Protection Organisation for your country (in Great Britain, the Forestry Commission), or direct to the Commission of the European Communities.

References to Ceratocystis coerulescens (the cause of Sapstreak of Maple) shall be amended to Ceratocystis virescens, recognising international recognition of this new name, and controls will be limited to Acer saccharum originating in the USA, rather than North American countries, reflecting recognition of freedom from the organism outside the USA².
Changes are proposed to controls on Castanea (Sweet chestnut) into and within the Community against Cryphonectria parasitica (the cause of Sweet Chestnut Blight). Protected Zones will be recognised in Denmark, Greece (part), Ireland, Sweden and the UK (all except the Isle of Man)³. Phytosanitary certificates and plant passports will still be required for plants for planting but Community controls on wood and isolated bark will be confined to material being introduced into and moved within the PZs.
The current prohibition on the entry into the Community of isolated bark of conifers from non-European countries will be replaced by entry requirements recognising fumigation and heat treatment as effective measures against the pests of concern.
Controls on the import of conifer wood (other than Thuja. L.) will be modified to recognise, subject to production of scientific data on efficacy, alternatives to heat treatment for wood from Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan and the USA – countries where Pine Wood Nematode is known to occur - (fumigation, chemical pressure impregnation).
Controls on wood of Thuja. L., coming from countries where PWN is known to occur, will be modified to add to the current requirement of freedom from bark and grub holes >3mm across, the alternatives of heat treatment, fumigation, kiln-drying or chemical pressure impregnation.
A new section for conifer wood originating in Russia, Kazakhstan or Turkey will be added permitting entry of untreated raw wood of conifers subject to confirmation (phytosanitary certificate) that the wood originates in areas free from Monochamus, Pissodes and Scolytidae (non-European spp.); or that it is bark-free and free from grub holes >3mm across; or kiln-dried; or heat treated; or fumigated, or treated by chemical pressure impregnation (subject to Standing Committee approval of scientific data on efficacy). This will be without prejudice to the existing requirements that apply to wood destined for protected zones [e.g. France (Corsica), Greece, Ireland and UK] .
A new section for conifer wood, other than wood originating in Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, the USA, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey, will be added permitting the entry of wood that is bark-free and free from grub holes >3mm across; or kiln-dried to below 20% moisture content; or heat treated; or fumigated or chemically pressure impregnated by an approved procedure.

NB: distinction will be made between requirements where wood must be bark-free and where it must be debarked. This will replace the current term “stripped of its bark” and will recognise FAO Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms definitions.

New controls on wood packaging material will be introduced to implement ISPM 15 “Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade”. These will apply to all wood packaging material in use and coming into the EU from all third countries (including material originally manufactured in the EU and which is being re-used). Wood packaging material will have to be manufactured or repaired with debarked wood which has been either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide. It will need to be marked the ISO two-letter country code, the producer code assigned by the National Plant Protection Organisation, and the appropriate treatment code and code for debarking. From 1 July 2007⁴ it will also have to have the IPPC logo for wood packaging material.
New controls will also be introduced requiring dunnage to be treated and marked in the same way as wood packaging material. Exceptionally, until1 July 2007, it will be sufficient if dunnage is bark-free and free of pests and signs of live pests.
Current requirements applying to wood of Castanea (Sweet chestnut) will be deleted and replaced with new requirements to apply when wood is moved into relevant protected zones [Denmark, Greece (part), Ireland, Sweden and UK (all except Isle of Man]⁶.
A modification will be made to the requirements applying to wood of Quercus (oak) to permit an exemption for wood for barrel manufacture (and finished barrels, not in use) where there is alternative evidence that the wood has been exposed to a temperature of at least 176^oC for 20 minutes.
Controls on wood of Platanus (Plane) will be extended to include wood originating in Switzerland, where Ceratocystis fimbriata f.sp. platani (the cause of Canker Stain of Plane) is known to occur.
Controls on wood of Populus (Poplar) will be modified to permit kiln-drying to below 20% moisture content, or wood that is bark-free.
Controls on wood chips will be modified to amend the requirement that fumigation must be carried out shipboard or in sealed containers in favour of more conventional fumigation procedures used for sawn wood, etc., and to permit the use of heat treatment.
The current prohibition on the import of conifer bark will be replaced by requirements permitting the entry of bark that is either fumigated or heat treated.
Annex V Part A (‘things’ that need a plant passport) will be modified to require a plant passport for wood of conifers, other than wood that is bark-free; wood of Castanea, other than wood that is bark-free; isolated bark of conifers, and isolated bark of Castanea.
Annex V Part B (‘things’ that need a phytosanitary certificate before being permitted entry into the EU) will be modified to reflect the various changes outlined above (e.g. wood of Platanus originating in Switzerland). The list of Customs Nomenclature codes (Taric) to which the requirements apply will also be modified adding, for example, prefabricated buildings of wood.

Issued November 2003

Notes

1, 4, 5 – These dates were updated via the publication of Commission Directive 2004/102/EC on 5^th October 2004

2 – Commission Directive 2004/102/EC includes Canada as no formal surveys had been conducted by Canada to provide evidence of freedom from Ceratocytstis virescens

3, 6 – Due to EU Enlargement on 1 May 2004 the Protected Zones now include Czech Republic and the specific areas of Greece (EL) are Crete and Lesvos

[Updated March 2005]

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