Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1492 of 19 July 2023 amending Annex VII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 as regards the introduction into the Union territory of certain forms of wood originating in Canada and the United States

Amendment of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072

Article 1

Annex VII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Entry into force

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

ANNEXSupplementary provisions

ANNEX Annex VII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 is amended as follows: 1. In Point 87, the list of countries in column ‘Origin’ is replaced by the following: ‘Belarus, China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and Ukraine’ 2. The following points 87.1 and 87.2 are added after point 87: ‘87.1 Wood of Fraxinus L. other than in the form of — chips, particles, sawdust, shavings, wood waste and scrap, obtained in whole or part from these trees, — wood packaging material, in the form of packing cases, boxes, crates, drums and similar packings, pallets, box pallets and other load boards, pallet collars, dunnage, whether or not actually in use in the transport of objects of all kinds, except dunnage supporting consignments of wood, which is constructed from wood of the same type and quality as the wood in the consignment and which meets the same Union phytosanitary requirements as the wood in the consignment, but including wood which has not kept its natural round surface, and furniture and other objects made of untreated wood. ex 4401 12 00 ex 4403 12 00 ex 4403 99 00 ex 4404 20 00 ex 4406 12 00 ex 4406 92 00 4407 95 10 4407 95 91 4407 95 99 ex 4408 90 15 ex 4408 90 35 ex 4408 90 85 ex 4408 90 95 ex 4409 29 10 ex 4409 29 91 ex 4409 29 99 ex 4416 00 00 ex 9406 10 00 Canada and United States Official statement that: (a) the wood has undergone ionizing irradiation to achieve a minimum absorbed dose of 1 kGy throughout the wood; or (b) the wood originates in an area recognised as being free from Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, established by the national plant protection organisation in the country of origin, in accordance with the relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, and located at a minimum distance of 100 km to the closest known area, where the presence of that pest has been officially confirmed; the area is mentioned on the phytosanitary certificate, and the pest freedom status of that area has been communicated in advance in writing to the Commission by the national plant protection organisation in the third country, or (c)   (i) the wood has undergone all of the following steps: — debarking, i.e. the wood is either completely debarked or only contain visually separate and clearly distinct pieces of bark. Each of the pieces is less than 3 cm in width or, if they are larger than 3 cm in width, has a surface of less than 50 cm 2 ; — sawing; — heat treatment, i.e. the wood is heated through its profile to at least 71 °C for 1 200 minutes in a heat chamber approved by the national plant protection organization in the third country or an agency approved by that organization; and — drying, i.e. the wood is dried following industrial drying schedules of at least two-week duration, recognised by the national plant protection organization in the third country, and the final moisture content of the wood does not exceed 10 % expressed as a percentage of dry matter; and (ii) the wood has been produced, handled or stored in a facility which fulfils all of the following requirements: — it is officially approved by the national plant protection organization in the third country or by an agency approved by that organisation, pursuant to its certification programme concerning Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; — it is registered in a database published on the website of the national plant protection organization in the third country; — it is audited by the national plant protection organisation in the third country or an agency approved by that organisation, at least once per month and it has been concluded that it complies with the requirements of this Annex point. In case the audits have been performed by an agency other than the national plant protection organization in the third country, that organisation has carried out audits of this work at least every six months. Those audits have included the verification of the procedures and documentation of the agency, and audits at approved facilities; — it uses equipment for the treatment of wood which has been calibrated consistently with the equipment’s manual of operation; — it keeps record of its procedures for verification by the national plant protection organization in that country or an agency approved by that organisation, including the duration of treatment, temperatures during treatment and for each specific bundle to be exported, the compliance check and final moisture content. and (iii) each bundle of the wood visibly displays both a number and a label with the words ‘HT-KD’ or ‘Heat Treated – Kiln Dried’. That label has been issued by, or under the supervision of, a designated officer of the approved facility after verifying that the processing requirements set out in point (i) and the requirements for facilities set out in point (ii) have been complied with. and The wood destined for the Union has been inspected by the national plant protection organisation in that country, or an agency officially approved by that authority, to ensure that the requirements laid down in points (i) and (iii) of this point are met. The bundle number(s) corresponding to each specific bundle being exported and the name of the approved facility(ies) in the country of origin shall be mentioned on the phytosanitary certificate referred to under the rubric ‘Additional declaration’. 87.2 Wood of Chionanthus virginicus L., Juglans ailantifolia Carr., Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Ulmus davidiana Planch. and Pterocarya rhoifolia Siebold & Zucc., other than in the form of — chips, particles, sawdust, shavings, wood waste and scrap, obtained in whole or part from these trees, — wood packaging material, in the form of packing cases, boxes, crates, drums and similar packings, pallets, box pallets and other load boards, pallet collars, dunnage, whether or not actually in use in the transport of objects of all kinds, except dunnage supporting consignments of wood, which is constructed from wood of the same type and quality as the wood in the consignment and which meets the same Union phytosanitary requirements as the wood in the consignment, but including wood which has not kept its natural round surface, and furniture and other objects made of untreated wood. ex 4401 12 00 ex 4403 12 00 ex 4403 99 00 ex 4404 20 00 ex 4406 12 00 ex 4406 92 00 ex 4407 99 27 ex 4407 99 40 ex 4407 99 90 ex 4408 90 15 ex 4408 90 35 ex 4408 90 85 ex 4408 90 95 ex 4409 29 10 ex 4409 29 91 ex 4409 29 99 ex 4416 00 00 ex 9406 10 00 Canada and United States Official statement that: (a) the wood originates in an area recognised as being free from Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, established by the national plant protection organisation in the country of origin, in accordance with the relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, and located at a minimum distance of 100 km to the closest known area, where the presence of that pest has been officially confirmed; the area is mentioned on the phytosanitary certificate and pest freedom status of that area has been communicated in advance in writing to the Commission by the National Plant Protection Organisation of the country concerned, or (b) the wood has undergone ionizing irradiation to achieve a minimum absorbed dose of 1 kGy throughout the wood.’