DLC

Er, aren't most ways of doing that highly illegal?

Fredbargate

Not in all countries

Fredbargate

Legislation to stop non-compliant wooden pallets entering Gibraltar came into force on Tuesday.

Pallets, used to transport goods from food and beverage to medicines, have been piling up since we left the European Union.

These wooden blocks need to comply with international standards on being heat treated, to prevent the global spread of timber pests. Pallets that circulate within the EU don't need to comply with this standard, and suppliers to the Rock often send non-compliant pallets, as they have previously been able to.

Now that we have left the EU, businesses on the Rock are unable to return the non-compliant pallets they end up with as Spain won't accept them. The legislation could improve this situation. Shelina Assomull has been following the story.

agree_to_disagree

Fred, you forgot the quotes....

https://www.gbc.gi/news/legislation-...ar-comes-force

The rest of the article may be found at the above link

Fredbargate

Proof that my post is genuine and not a figment of imagination like some post on this forum.

SanNico

Sounds like HMRC dropped the ball by allowing them to enter in the first place.

Fredbargate

I find it strange that pallets that do not meet EU requirements are allowed to circulate freely within the EU

DLC

The requirement is that pallets are heat treated when crossing the single market border, not that pallets inside the EU are heat treated.

Fredbargate

So any crap can be manufactured and circulate within the EU

agree_to_disagree

The EU legislation is shown below.

It is clearly put in place in order to protect the EU zone from unwanted bugs etc.

When you're not in the club, then you have to follow the rules for a third country*!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Requirements for wood packaging & dunnage

EU requirements for wood packaging material are based on the 2002 FAO International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) n° 15.

Regulation (EU) 2016/2031Search for available translations of the preceding linkEN••• on protective measures against plant pests (“Plant Health Law”) sets the requirements for non-EU imports into the EU of wood packaging material and dunnage.

All wood packaging material and dunnage from non-EU countries must be:

• either heat treated or fumigated in line with ISPM15 procedures;
  
• officially marked with the ISPM15 stamp consisting of 3 codes (country, producer and measure applied) and the IPPC logo;
  
• debarked.
  

These requirements do not apply to:

• wood 6mm thick or less;
• wood packaging material made entirely from processed wood produced using glue, heat and pressure e.g. plywood, oriented strand board and veneer;
• wood packaging material used in trade within the EU
• (except from certain areas where certain pests, such as Pinewood nematode and Asian longhorn beetle, are present, under containment or eradication). Specific rules are in place for 52 commodities imported from China and Belarus with wood packaging material under Decision (EU) 2018/1137 as they present an increased phytosanitary risk. This decision prescribes that at least 1% of the incoming consignments and their wood packaging are checked.
• From December 2019, the competent authorities within the EU will carry out risk-based controls for wood packaging based on the relevant information available in the Information Management System of Official Controls (Regulation 2019/2125).
• wood 6mm thick or less;
  
• wood packaging material made entirely from processed wood produced using glue, heat and pressure e.g. plywood, oriented strand board and veneer;
  
• wood packaging material used in trade within the EU.
  
  https://ec.europa.eu/food/plants/pla...ing-dunnage_en
  
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  
  

  * third country

  Definition(s)

  A country that is not a member of the European Union as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union ]right to free movement, as defined in Art. 2(5) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code)Search for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••.
  
  https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/pa...ird-country_en
  
  

Fredbargate

Thank you for confirming my post 1764 above is correct

DLC

The point is pallets made inside the single market will be made with bug-free wood and pallets from outside the single market must be treated to be bug free before entering.

The UK government could have chosen to stay in the single market like Norway and Switzerland but decided not to.

agree_to_disagree

Originally Posted by Fredbargate View Post

"So any crap can be manufactured and circulate within the EU"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not really, as the pallets circulated within the EU are fit for purpose, i.e. no heat treated or fumigation is required for pallets circulated, owing to an absence of the pests or bug infestations within the EU, that might require it.

It is the crap that comes from outside the EU, that has to be fumigated and heat treated!

Fredbargate

But the problem that faces Gibraltar is the return of pallets that originated inside the EU

That the EU are blocking the return of.

I.E. their crap

Red Eric

Presumably, without any sort of marking on them to indicate their origin it would be impossible to prove where they came from and Gib could just be trying to palm off inferior pallets arriving through its port.

Sounds like some more red tape's required on the rock.