Importing wood and wood products
If you want to import wood or wood products into the European Union, you will have to observe certain phytosanitary requirements. It depends on the country of origin and the type of wood – bark, hardwood or softwood – which requirements apply.
Legally harvested wood
It is forbidden to import and sell illegally cut wood. Import and sales of products made of this wood are also forbidden. You must be able to demonstrate the exact origin of the wood and that it has been cut legally.
FLEGT licence
You will possibly need a FLEGT licence for some countries. FLEGT is a European action plan against illegal logging and stands for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade. A FLEGT licence guarantees that wood products come from legally felled trees and have been imported legally.
Treated wood
Many types of wood must be treated to prevent harmful organisms being spread with the wood. A phytosanitary certificate is therefore often required with the import consignment. A plant passport can be required for transit within the EU.
Wood packaging
Wood packaging imported into the EU from countries other than Switzerland must fulfil the requirements of the ISPM 15 international phytosanitary standard. Wooden packaging must bear an IPPC brand mark consisting of the IPPC logo (International Plant Protection Conference), a 2-letter ISO country code, a code which identifies the manufacturer, and a code that shows how the wood has been treated.
Please note: this also applies to imported products which are packaged on pallets or in wooden crates from non-EU countries and Switzerland, including the UK.
Phytosanitary inspection
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) carries out a phytosanitary inspection at the EU border. You can consult the list of products that must have a certificate and be inspected upon import in Annex XI of the EU Regulation regarding protective measures against pest of plants.