Consequences of Brexit for wooden packaging industries

Thursday September 3rd, 2020

Since 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union and has become a “third country”, with the exception of Northern Ireland which will continue to apply EU rules for another four years and have to establish its own Competent Authority.

The Withdrawal Agreement provides for a transition period ending on 31 December 2020. Until that date, EU law in its entirety applies to and in the United Kingdom.

From the 1st January 2021 the following requirements will be mandatory:

• it will be a legal requirement for all wood packaging material moving in both directions between UK and the EU to be compliant with a treatment and mark as specified in the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures n.15 (ISPM15), like any other non-EU countries
• all operators who import timber and timber products from the United Kingdom (no matter where the timber was initially harvested) are under the obligation to exercise Due Diligence according to Regulation (EU) n. 995/2010, as already in place for any procurement from non-EU countries
• FLEGT scheme no longer applies to the United Kingdom

Our staff is available for our Customers for any further information regarding these new regulations