Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1002 of 9 July 2020 establishing a derogation from Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 as regards the requirements for introduction into the Union of ash wood originating or processed in the United States (c. 1002)

ANNEX

Part A

1. Processing requirements

The processing of the specified wood, as referred to in Article 1, must fulfil all of the following requirements:

(a)

Debarking

The specified wood is debarked, with the exception of any number of visually separate and clearly distinct small pieces of bark which comply with one of the following requirements:

(1)

they are less than 3 cm in width (regardless of length) or

(2)

if they are greater than 3 cm in width, the total surface area of each individual piece of bark is less than 50 cm².

(b)

Sawing

The specified sawn wood is produced from debarked round wood.

(c)

Heat treatment

The specified wood is heated through its profile to at least 71 °C for 1 200 minutes in a heat chamber approved by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), or an agency approved by APHIS.

(d)

Drying

The specified wood is dried following industrial drying schedules of at least two-week duration, recognised by APHIS.

The final moisture content of the wood shall not exceed 10 % expressed as a percentage of dry matter.

2. Requirements for facilities

The specified wood must be produced, handled or stored in a facility which fulfils all the following requirements:

(a)

it is officially approved by APHIS, or an agency approved by APHIS, pursuant to its certification programme concerning the pest Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire;

(b)

it is registered in a database published on the APHIS website;

(c)

it is audited by APHIS, or an agency approved by APHIS, at least once per month and it has been concluded that it complies with the requirements of this Annex. In the case these audits are performed by an agency approved by APHIS, APHIS must carry out six-monthly audits of this work. The six-monthly audits shall include the verification of the procedures and documentation of the agency and audits at approved facilities;

(d)

it uses equipment for the treatment of the specified wood which has been calibrated consistently with the equipment’s manual of operation;

(e)

it keeps records of its procedures for verification by APHIS or an agency approved by APHIS, including the duration of treatment, temperatures during treatment and, for each specific bundle to be exported, the compliance check and final moisture content.

3. Labelling

Each bundle of the specified wood must visibly display both a unique bundle number and a label with the words ‘HT-KD’ or ‘Heat Treated-Kiln Dried’. That label must be issued by, or under the supervision of, a designated officer of the approved facility after verifying that the processing requirements set out in point 1 and the requirements for facilities set out in point 2 have been complied with.

4. Pre-export inspections

The specified wood destined for the Union must be inspected before export by APHIS, or an agency approved by APHIS, to ensure that the requirements laid down in points 1 and 3 are met.

Part B Specified wood with their respective CN codes

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 4407 99 27 ex 4407 99 40 ex 4407 99 90 ex 4416 00 00 ex 9406 10 00