Fumigation in the European Union meets certain standards. What do you need to know about these regulations? This question will be discussed at length by Benjamin Muminovic, a young entrepreneur who has a company that can handle all your fumigation questions.
Despite his young age, he has already achieved several million euros in turnover. This has been possible thanks to e-commerce, his multiple investments in the stock market and especially his skills in the fumigation sector of which he is now a specialist. His ideal, if we can say it, is formed in a few words: “Become free, and finally have a free life!.
Let’s talk about the regulation of fumigation in the EU with this young man with multiple skills.
So, Mr. Muminovic Benjamin, what definitional approach can you take first to the term “fumigation”?
To begin, I would like to mention the report published by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food on March 16, 2021 on the uses attributed to wood. Although numerous, wood can be found in the construction of wooden houses of course, in carpentry, in the chemical industry and also in the paper industry.
However, whatever the field in which it is used, wood is exposed to the attack of parasites. It is therefore to prevent or correct the evil that one of the recommended measures is fumigation.
So, to answer your question in a very simple way, I will say that fumigation is a method of treating wood. Its purpose is to prevent the introduction of pests into products made of wood.
It prevents the spread of many pests including moths, weevils, beetles and many other moths. By applying this chemical treatment, these insects are killed.
In a word, Fumigation is the treatment of wood. But, Mr. Benjamin Muminovic, why do we sometimes talk about fumigation within the European industries?
In fact, most food industries in the EU also use fumigation to treat their products and protect their goods from insects and other pests.
Whether during production itself, after packaging, during transport or at destination, treatment in the industries is possible. All we need to do is to use the appropriate pesticides or gaseous fumigants.
Other fumigation equipment can also be used for the cause. For example, we have the dosing device, the gas vaporizer, the heating equipment and the instruments for measuring the moisture content and the reduced pressure. In any case, each of these materials is chosen according to the recommendations of the National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs).
What do you know about plant protection regulations in the European Union, Mr. Benjamin Muminovic?
The phytosanitary regulation is the set of rules that governs the import of wood products in the European Union.
This regulation has established measures to determine the risks that could cause pests upon arrival of the products.
In fact, the Council’s implementing regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of October 26, 2016, refers to the products that must be subject to controls prior to import and those that are not.
Certain kinds of plant products and wood products and wood packaging materials are in the case, for example. These are real nests of microorganisms.
So, in addition to exterminating these pests, the objective of this initiative is to participate in the protection of the environment of the countries hosting these products.
I take this opportunity to remind some countries requiring fumigation in the world. We have India, Japan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Vietnam, Philippines and Morocco. Our agency SINO Shipping offers better transport insurance. These cover the cost of transportation, effects and possible damage during the journey.
So what are these products that require fumigation in the EU?
According to the regulation, the products that must undergo phytosanitary treatment before import are those derived from plants. For example, there are wooden packaging products with a thickness of at least 7 mm. This can be pallets, loading boards, crates or dunnage.
However, before the inspection, the customs authorities must ensure that each of the products concerned has not been treated with heat, glue or pressure. After the verification stage, the products are fumigated and marked according to the requirements of the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).
And what about products not subject to fumigation in the EU?
These are distinguished by their treatment and also by their shape. Among these pest free products, we have the gift boxes and the spirit barrels also called wine barrels. Most of these products are treated during their manufacture to protect them against insects and other parasites.
Apart from these, there are products with a thickness of less than 6 mm and those that have been treated with heat, glue or pressure. These include particleboard, pellets, oriented strand board and plywood.
In case of non-conformity of products: what does the regulation (EU) 2016/2031 that you had mentioned in one of your answers provide?
I remind you once again that the passage of plant products and wood packaging materials is subject to compliance with the standards set by Regulation (EU) 2016/2031.
However, in case of non-compliance, it is up to the authorities to take appropriate measures. These vary according to the different cases.
Indeed, after verification, the authority has the full right to withdraw from the batches, the infected products. Otherwise, it could infest the rest of the products and become a handicap to the European ecosystem. These withdrawn products are then denied entry into the European Union.
Nevertheless, when the analysis of products reflects a doubtful result, the authority may require a quarantine, the time to perform comprehensive tests to obtain reassuring results. In this regard, it should be noted that the quarantine time is defined by the authority itself according to the extent of the situation.
Mr. Muminovic Benjamin, is Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 the only one that applies in the context of fumigation?
No, the phytosanitary regulation does not consider only the regulation (EU) 2016/2031.
There are other regulations that apply in the context of fumigation in the European Union. Among the most fashionable, there is the Council Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 of November 28, 2018, which reinforces the EU Regulation 2016/2031 by establishing measures to protect plants.
In addition to these two regulations, we can mention the following:
- – Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019;
- – the implementing regulation (EU) 2019/1715 ;
- – the delegated regulation (EU) 2019/1602;
- – Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2124 ;
- – Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2123 and ;
- – Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2125.
Each of them is part of the official regulation of fumigation in the European Union.
So what types of fumigation do all these regulations require?
Instead, the types of fumigation have been set out by ISPM 15. This is the fifteenth International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures. It is adopted by more than 180 countries of the EU and is established by the International Plant Protection Convention.
The first type of fumigation has the treatment code MB. It favors the use of methyl bromide as fumigant gas. This type of fumigation is not recommended by the IPPC because of its harmful effects on the environment. For example, methyl bromide in the environment can cause the reduction of the ozone layer. For this reason, the European Union prohibits it, but only allows it in the case of an emergency quarantine.
The second type of fumigant requires a treatment based on sulfuryl fluoride. It is unique in that it is only applicable to wood products with a moisture content of less than 75%. Like methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride also has negative impacts when emitted into the atmosphere. It is actually a gas that can cause significant global warming.
However, new recovery technologies are now available to minimize the emission of this gas.
Your final word, Benjamin Muminovic ?
The issue of fumigation is still relevant in the European Union, as the import of wood is a booming sector.
However, I would like to remind you (I did not mention this) that materials subject to ISPM 15 must be labelled with the IPPC mark. The IPPC mark does not have to be applied to only one side of the package. It must also be visible to make it easier to read. This mark plays the same role as the phytosanitary certificate.
It can therefore be said that fumigation in the European Union follows certain regulations. This regulation prevents the entry into Europe of micro-organisms harmful to diversity and also to crops.
