EUROPEAN UNION (EU) RESTRICTIONS INVOLVING NON-MANUFACTURED WOOD PACKAGING (NMWP) AND PALLETS

Notice Date

August 13, 2001

Contracting Office

Naval Inventory Control Point -- Mechanicsburg, Code M2522, PO Box 2020, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-0788

ZIP Code

17055-0788

Description

A requirement that "all wood pallets and wood containers produced of non-manufactured wood shall be constructed from Heat Treated (HT to 56 degrees Centigrade for 30 minutes) material and certified by an accredited agency recognized by the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) in accordance with Non-Manufactured Wood Packaging policy and Non-manufactured Wood Enforcement Regulations both dated May 30, 2001" must be included in all solicitations and contracts where wooden pallets and containers may be used to ship material to U.S. forces and for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers in Europe. This requirement is necessary in order to comply with the Emergency Measure adopted by the commission of the European Communities (CEC) that became effective October 1, 2001. Membership in the CEC includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The United Nations (UN) International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is drafting a similar measure to establish international standards for NMWPM and the prevention of various wood pests with an anticipated effective date of April 2003. NMWPM is defined as non-manufactured wood pallets, skids, boxes, and crates that have not had sufficient processing to kill pests present in the raw wood. One of the approved methods for eliminating this pest is to heat-treat (HT) the wood so the core temperature of each piece of treated wood will reach 56 degrees C for 30 minutes (56/30). The requirement may be added by incorporation into local palletization clauses, palletization sheets, or packaging requirements. At such time when the requirement is incorporated into material specifications and/or MIL-STD-2073-1, its inclusion in local clauses will no longer be necessary for solicitations and awards that include MIL-STD-2073-1. Refer to 'www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/eunmwp.html' for questions and material sources.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010815/SPMSC069.HTM (W-225 SN50U7V9)