EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 06 - 2002 Num. article: 2002/105

Implementation of ISPM no. 15 is suspended


The IPPC Secretariat recently notified EPPO that the implementation of ISPM no. 15 Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade (approved in March 2002) was suspended for the following reasons:
‘A key provision of the standard is the use of a mark for the certification of approved measures. Difficulties have arisen as a result of efforts by FAO to legally protect the mark for use according to the standard. The FAO Legal Office is recommending that governments temporarily suspend implementation of the standard until these legal issues are resolved. In the meantime, the IPPC Secretariat is undertaking to establish a new mark. It is anticipated that this will require approximately five months. Members will be notified immediately when the standard can be implemented again.’

Sources

IPPC Secretariat, FAO, 2002-06