. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/221
10 November 2003
(03-5986)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Commission of the European Communities, Health & Consumer
Protection Directorat e-General Directorate E – Food Safety , Plant Health, Animal Health and
Welfare, International questions
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Wood and wood packaging material ci rculating under Chapter 44 (Headings
CN 4401, 4402, 4403, 4404, 4406, 4407, 4415, 4416) and Heading 9406;  ICS:55
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Member states and countries exporting the pr oducts concerned to the European Community
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Directive amending Annexes II, III, IV and V to Council Directive 2000/29/EC on protective
measures against the introduction into the Co mmunity of organisms harmful to plants or
plant products and against their spread  within the Community (22 pages).
6. Description of content:  The current provisions governing the import into and movement
within the Community of woods and w ood products are proposed to be amended.
In particular, the relevant provisions of  Directive 2000/29/EC on wood packaging material
would be aligned with the provisions of the FAO International Standard for Phytosanitary
Measures No 15 on Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international
trade .
Other amendments are proposed as regards:
- wood originating in countries where Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  (Steiner et Bührer)
Nickle et al. is known to occur;
- wood originating in Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey and other third countries;- isolated bark of conifers;
- the provisions against Cryphonectria parasitica  (Murrill.) Barr.;
- changes in the tariff and statistical nomenclature and the Common Customs Tariff.These amended provisions are of interest fo r member States and countries exporting the
relevant wood or wood products to the European Community.G/SPS/N/EEC/221
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safet y, [   ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[ X ] International Plant Protec tion Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  This regulatory amendment is consistent with
the standards, guidelines and recommendati ons of the International Plant Protection
Convention of the Food and Agricultural Or ganization of the United Nations, and in
particular, the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No 15 on Guidelines for
regulating wood packaging materi al in international trade ..
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European
Commission Document SANCO/1460/03 Rev.12 (available in English).
10. Proposed date of adoption:   February 2004
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 July 2004
12. Final date for comments:  15 January 2004
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [ X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] EC enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: