The Commission of the European Communities has adopted emergency measures requiring the treatment and marking of all coniferous (e.g. pine, spruce, fir) non-manufactured wood packing material (NMWP) originating in the United States, Canada, China or Japan and departing on or after October 1, 2001.

The European Union (EU) emergency measures allow three treatment options for coniferous NMWP: heat treatment (HT), fumigation or chemical pressure impregnation (CPI). In all cases, treated wood must bear a mark indicating the organization that treated the NMWP and the location of that organization. The EU requires that the HT program be an official program with official marks.

For more information on the EU requirements and the programs put in place to meet the requirements, visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/eunmwp.html