On August 10th 2018, the European Commission has adopted the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1137 on the supervision, plant health checks and measures to be taken on wood packaging material for the transport of commodities originating in certain third countries.

Articles included in the above mentioned Decision, which repeals the Implementing Decision 2013/92/EU, apply from 1 October 2018 until 30 June 2020.

According to the Decision, the wood packaging material of each consignment of the specified commodities, from the time of entry into the customs territory of the Union shall be subject to customs supervision pursuant to Article 134 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013.

In order to make this surveillance effective, any professional operator involved in the importation of the specified commodities, accompanied by wood packaging material, shall give, as soon as they are aware of the imminent arrival of that wood packaging material, advance notice thereof to the customs office at the point of entry or to the responsible official body of the point of entry.

Until the completion of the checks, that wood packaging material and the respective specified commodities shall remain under customs supervision pursuant to Article 134 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 and to supervision by the responsible official body.


The full text and the list of the specified commodities is available here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018D1137&from=it