Untitled Document

ARTICLE 1- The objective of this Regulation is to set the rules and principles of the structure to be established in order to prevent the entrance, transport and spread of harmful organisms to and from abroad through wood packaging materials concerning the Norms Regulating the Wood Packaging Materials in International Trade published in June 2002 by the Secretariat of International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of FAO to which Turkey is a party.

ARTICLE 2- (1) This regulation covers plant health measures, including the materials and measures used during shipping, to be used in international trade activities for the purpose of decreasing the risk of entrance into the country and spread of quarantine pests, which are carried by packaging materials made of raw wood of trees, and creation of standards for marking packaging materials and issues related to granting permission to the wooden package producers who produce or repair pallets, crates, boxes, cable drums, auxiliary packaging materials and the like.

ARTICLE 3- (1) This regulation is prepared on the basis of Law No 6968 of 15/5/1957 on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine and parallel with the provisions of the Norms Regulating Wood Packaging Materials in International Trade, ISPM No: 15 published in June 2002 by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention within the scope of plant health measures and international standards, and the global policy of the Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations on plant quarantine, and the technical assistance program.

a) Auxiliary packaging material: Wood packaging materials being used to secure or support goods, but not having relations with these goods,

b) Wood: Round wood, sawn wood, chipped wood, sawdust or auxiliary packaging materials, with or without bark,

c) Wood packaging material: Wood or wood products excluding paper products used in supporting, protecting or transporting goods including packing supporting materials,

e) Fumigation: the process of treatment with a chemical agent penetrating into all or basic parts of the goods in the form of vapour,

g) Inspection staff member: Inspectors inspecting wood packaging materials or Agricultural Engineers authorized by the Ministry for inspection,

j) HT: Heat treatment, process of heat treating goods until reaching a minimum degree for a minimum period of time according to officially approved technical specifications and printing that mark on them,

n) Mark: An internationally accepted official seal or mark printed on goods subject to regulations and confirming that the plant is healthy,

o) Processed wood material: Wood products produced by using an adhesive, heat or pressure or any combination of these,

p) Disbarked wood: Wood of which whole bark or the bark grown inward around knots or bark cavities formed by yearly growths are removed excluding vascular tissue,

q) Organisms subject to quarantine: Harmful organisms which are economically important for a region due to the risks they pose, but which have not existed in this region yet or exist but have not spread across the country yet,

r) KD: The condition of the wood packaging material of which moisture content at dry matter is 19% or less,

s) Chemical pressure: treating the wood with a chemical protective material by applying pressure in accordance with officially approved technical specifications,

t) Goods: A plant variety, plant product or any other goods transported from one place to another for commercial or any other purposes,

w) Consignment: The quantity of plants, plant products or any other goods transported from a country to another and which, in a compulsory condition, may contain one or more sorts of goods or sub-consignments covered by a single plant certificate,

x) Official Body: A body determined, founded, authorized by a national plant protection organization,

y) Certificate: An official document confirming the plant health condition concerning any shipment covered by the plant health legislation,

z) Harmful organism: Live organisms in wood or in the tree from which the wood is obtained; insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.

ARTICLE 5- (1) Regulations are aimed at the raw wood packaging materials obtained from coniferous and deciduous trees which may serve as an ideal medium for spread of harmful organisms which pose threat to planted trees. They include the wood packaging materials such as pallets, packaging support materials, crates, drums, packaging blocks, loading planks, pallet bars and chutes. The wood packaging materials are mostly re-used or used in re-producing. In this context, the packages received together with an imported consignment may be used in another consignment to be exported. However, the wood packaging materials, which are heat-treated or fumigated have a logo, are re-processed when they need a part to be attached or any repairing.

ARTICLE 6- (1) It is necessary for the support and auxiliary materials for packaging to carry ISPM 15 logo indicating that they were inspected in accordance with an approved measure, and to be marked appropriately. Otherwise such materials will not be permitted to enter into the country.

(2) It is not obligatory support and auxiliary materials for packaging to be marked until 15/03/2007 provided that these materials do not have any sign of harmful organisms by maximum and are totally peeled off the bark.

ARTICLE 7- (1) The wood packaging materials such as plywood, flake board, oriented braided board or cladding panels which are produced using an adhesive, heat or pressure or any combination of these and completely made of products of wooden basis are not covered by this Regulation.

(2) The wood packaging materials having a thickness of 6 mm or less are not subject to regulations and not covered by this Regulation.

(3) The provisions of the Agricultural Quarantine Regulation published in the Official Gazette no. 25160 of 6/7/2003 apply to logs, timber and woods to be imported.

ARTICLE 8- (1) Any treatments, procedures, processes or any combinations of these, which are highly effective against the harmful organisms in reducing the risks of harmful organisms carried by the wood packaging materials used in transportation, are considered as effective measures. The approved measures related to the wood packaging materials are listed in Annex 1.

a) Use of DB-HT mark: In order to use DB mark, heat treatment plus disbarking, excluding vascular tissue the whole bark or the bark grown inward around knots or bark cavities formed by yearly growths of the wood are removed. The real and legal persons operating in the wood packaging sector will document that the timber has been inspected properly prior to use and take all the measures to eliminate all the barked parts or remove the bark.

b) Heat treatment: Heating of the wood packaging materials for certain time up to a certain degree in order to obtain a wood core temperature of at least 56°C for at least 30 minutes. It is marked with HT.

c) Heat processing and kiln drying: In order to be able to use the marking of kiln drying together with heat processing, besides heat processing, the maximum moisture content of the wood packaging material must be 19% or less. It is marked with KD-HT.

ARTICLE 9- (1) The regulation covers the wood packaging materials such as pallets, support materials for packaging, crates, drums, packaging blocks, loading planks, pallet bars and chutes.

(2) Since the processed packaging materials such as plywood, flake board, oriented braided board or cladding panels which are produced using an adhesive, heat or pressure or any combination of these and completely made of products of wooden basis, the wine and whisky casks, and the wood packaging materials having a thickness of 6 mm or less are not subject to regulations, they are not subject to import inspections.

ARTICLE 10- (1) The following conditions are required in wood packaging materials subject to inspection:

a) The wood packaging materials must be heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide, which are the methods approved in accordance with the Approved Measures associated with the Wood Packaging Materials in Annex 1.

b) The wood packaging materials must be marked in accordance with Marking Related to the Approved Measures in Annex 2.

(2) The wood packaging materials not satisfying these conditions are returned to their origin or eradicated or, when considered necessary, permitted to enter into the country after they are heat-treated or fumigated if proper conditions are provided.

ARTICLE 11- (1) Inspection staff members of the Ministry inspect the wood packaging materials of the goods imported from abroad in wood packaging materials at customs zone when entering the country. The inspection staff members check whether the wood packaging materials have been marked properly or not. They also examine the wood packaging materials macroscopically for harmful organisms. For the wood packaging materials, no plant health certificate or any other document is required.

ARTICLE 12- (1) In transit of goods, the wood packaging materials must satisfy the conditions set out in Article 10. The said wood packaging materials are permitted to pass only when suitable conditions are provided.

Inspection and Authorization of Domestic Heat Treatment Facility Applications, Requirements, Authorization and Approval

ARTICLE 13-(1) Producers of the wood packaging materials and users of the packaging materials and the other parties working in this sector apply to the General Directorate for a permit of wood packaging material marking. After the required examinations and evaluations, the person or institutions fulfilling the ISPM conditions are issued, by an Authorized Committee, Wood Packaging Materials Marking Permit included in Annex 6 of this Regulation. The possessors of such a certificate have the permit to use a standard code which defines their products and indicates that each product has a Turkish origin and certain qualities concerning plant health.

(2) For ISPM 15, persons or institutions apply to the General Directorate together with the originals and notarised copies of the following documents or with their institutionally certified documents:

Heat Treatment, Requirements for Heat Treatment Facilities and Processes of Certifying the Capability of the Facility for Heat Treatment

ARTICLE 14- (1) All the wood and the wood packaging materials are heated up to a certain degree for at least 30 minutes in order to obtain a core temperature of at least 56°C. The objective of heat-treating of the wood packaging materials is to make the quarantine harmful organisms and disease factors harmless.

Requirements for heat treatment facilities and processes of certifying the capability of the facility for heat treatment

ARTICLE 15- (1) During a required typical drying process, the core temperature of the wood is measured at different points of the timber stack. Following the first testing, if the obtained results do not differ considerably as to arouse doubts, one testing is sufficient. In case the same business has more than one heat treatment chambers, these are approved for heat treatment like the chamber passed heat treatment the 13 tests mentioned in Annex 3, if proved that they have the same boiler, geometry and specifications. The required criteria to assess whether other chambers at a multi-chambered business have the same geometry and specifications as the chamber subjected to 13 temperature measurement tests are given in Annex 4. However, as in the chamber subjected to first 13 temperature measurement tests, a measurement is made on each stack in all other tanks for continuous observation.

ARTICLE 16- (1) Duration and temperature tests are required in order to meet the conditions provided during normal heating process or kiln drying cycles for the purpose of authorizing to use the HT component of the marking on the wood or wooden package. Use of this mark indicates that each component covered by this mark has been subjected to process of heating the wood core at minimally 56°C for at least 30 minutes.

ARTICLE 17- (1) The temperature meters are placed at various points of the timber stack and the temperatures at the corners and middle of the stack are recorded. At least 13 temperature measurements must be made on the stack according to the chart given in Annex 3. The company assessed is responsible for temperature records and procurement of monitoring equipment. In 13 tests, the following criteria are fulfilled.

a) The details related to the tested wood are determined. If mixed blocks are used in a stack composed of factory pallets, measurement is made only on wood plates. If a mixture of mixed wood is used during production, full composition of the pallets is described.

b) Since the heat transfer along the nails will disturb the correctness of the temperature measurement, making holes near the nails is avoided.

c) The dimensions as length, height and width and tree variety of thick timber pallets are mentioned. In case there are no heat-treated prefabricated pallets, the dimensions above must include the length details of the wood in pallets.

d) The first test of timber and the verification test must be same in terms of type, dimensions and volume.

e) In case the temperature meters with metal caps are used, the diameter of the meter must be shorter than the diameter of the hole drilled. 4.0 mm meters are best for this purpose.

f) The properties of the temperature meters with metal caps eliminate the necessity for refilling the hole and make the core temperature be measured. Length of the meter must comply with the depth measured.

g) Certified and calibrated data recording equipment with steel cap is used. The positions of temperature meters must conform to the manner shown in the chart in Annex 3. Meters are numerated according to this chart. In each process, numerated meter must be in the same position.

h) The temperature meters are placed in holes to be drilled at the shortest distance between the centre and perimeter of the wood. If the meters with metal caps are not used, each hole is filled with a substance resistant to heat in order to prevent the measurement of wood core temperature to be affected by the temperature of the surrounding air. The holes must be large just enough to allow the diameter of the meter in.

i) Details related to wet and dry temperatures, direction of the fan and speed of the air and whether aeration has been performed in drying kiln are confirmed. During the test, data are obtained at least every 30 minutes until the meter on the least heated part of the timber indicates that the temperature of the core has reached 56°C. Thus, a clear idea about the temperature collected in the chamber air and in the wood itself is obtained. Heat collection depends on summer and winter temperatures of the environmental air, thickness and temperature of the wood, temperature and moisture of the chamber, and the like. For a given chamber temperature, the higher the relative moisture is, the faster the heat diffuses into the wood core. The essence of the HT process is heating the wood as fast as possible and letting significant drying be happened. This point causes cracking and deterioration. In order to reach these conditions, the difference between wet and dry temperatures must not be higher than 5°C. The variation in heat formation must be peculiar to the room and give a good idea about the room performance. For confirmation, only the data of the repeated inspection are used.

h) The results of the first 13 measurements are submitted to the inspection staff members as a software package.

ARTICLE 18- (1) The following procedures will be performed after 13 temperature measurement tests are made according to the chart given in Annex 3:

a) In each process, as determined in 13 measurement tests at the beginning, the temperature is monitored with at least two timber temperature meters placed on the densest piece of timber at the part of the room heated most slowly.

b) When the pallets are heat-treated, the temperature meters are placed in the blocks perpendicularly and contact with nails is avoided. If mixed blocks are used, the plate with largest section is measured. The measurement is made by drilling holes on the narrower sides of the plates.

d) In each process, air temperature is recorded and the records are kept for inspection.

e) The meter and data recording equipment are calibrated once a year by a body certified by the authorized public institutions. Certificates of calibration are kept and presented to inspection staff members during inspections.

f) At facilities of heat treatment kilns, locally operating operation systems are tested and their records are presented to the inspection staff members during their assessment visits. The inspection staff members do not determine their contents. However, the content must comprise the instructions for setting kiln parameters, setting of HT penetration meters which will measure the core temperature in accordance with the HT Facility Site Operating System in Annex 5, setting of the data recorder of the HT process, the end point of the HT process, data recording and recalling processes.

ARTICLE 19- (1) At the end of the tests, the inspection staff members are obliged to see that all wood dimensions tested and, when appropriate, sorts of wood, at least when wanted, reach a minimum core temperature of 56°C for at least 30 minutes by observing the test method, the test equipment used and obtained test records. The inspection staff members communicate to the Authorized Committee the assessment report mentioning that the HT marking is permitted to be used on the materials heat-treated in accordance with the technical rules.

ARTICLE 20- (1) During examination, in case the inspection staff members determine that the requirements for certifying that heat treatment is performed under the conditions laid down in this Regulation are not created, they suspend or revoke the authorization to use the HT marking, depending on the structure of the violation. Furthermore, the inspection staff members may demand that the marks on all or any of the marked products at the business will be erased or printed in a proper way.

Examination and Inspection, Authorized Commission and Its Duties, Penal Provisions

ARTICLE 21- (1) The inspection commission, which will make the examination and the inspection in site, is composed of the agricultural engineers employed at the headquarters and provincial directorates of the Ministry and at the directorates of agricultural quarantine. Each inspection for applications is made by two agricultural engineers. The inspection is made taking the following issues into account and the assessment report drawn up is presented to the Authorized Commission.

a) Storage areas used to classify the materials for marked package production and other areas, and the materials non- marked.

d) The processing method applied to the facility and volume of the processed timber, capacity of the processing facility.

(2) The consignment number, date, computer records of heat treatment performed, and a copy of the specimen of the waybill or invoice of each heat-treated wood material are submitted to the persons or institutions performing the purchase. A copy is kept in file. This information is stored for two years both in memory records of the computer and at the company’s archives as filed properly.

(3) In case the business shuts down, the owner of the business notify the General Directorate of the situation and returns the Wood Packaging Materials Marking Permit. The Ministry cancels this permit.

(4) In case of any change of address or handover of the company, the Ministry is informed thereof. The application is evaluated and, in case the report drawn up by the inspection staff members is approved by the Authorized Commission, a Wood Packaging Materials Marking Permit including the new address in Annex 6 is drawn up.

ARTICLE 22- (1) Authorized Commission: Authorized Commission is composed of five members, four of which are appointed by the General Directorate of Protection and Control and one represents the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges. In addition, five alternate members are designated in accordance with the same procedure. Chairman of the commission is designated by the Director General. The term of service of the commission members is three years. New members are assigned in the same way to complete the term for places which have become vacant due to retirement, death or leaving the post. The Commission meets in full number when requested by the Director General or the Chairman and takes decisions with absolute majority. Alternate members take part in meetings where the regular members cannot participate. Secretarial work of the Commission is carried out by the General Directorate.

a) Reviews the suitability reports drawn up by the inspection staff members on the basis of in-situ examination.

b) Based on the assessment report, if it is seen that the conditions of this Regulation have been satisfied, the concerned company or institution is issued with the Wood Packaging Materials Marking Permit in Annex 6 and a separate code number.

(2) The persons or institutions issued with a code number begin to use the logo of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention in Annex 2.

ARTICLE 24- (1) The persons or institutions appointed by the Authorized Commission to print logos are inspected at least once a year by two agricultural engineers employed at the General Directorate or the Provincial Directorates of the Ministry or the Directorates of Agricultural Quarantine of the Ministry. Each company or business keeps a book of which each page is notarized, in order to be presented during inspections by Authorized Commissions.

(2) During inspections to be made at businesses issued with a Wood Packaging Materials Marking Permit,

a) When considered necessary, heat treatment tests may be made in the heat treatment kiln under the conditions required by this Regulation.

b) It is checked whether the heat-treated material is stored apart from the others.

c) It is checked whether the business is located at the address printed on the licence.

d) The materials informed as heat-treated are examined and, if required, samples may be taken for analyses.

e) The information and documents required in paragraph 2 of Article 21 of this Regulation are checked.

f) In case it is observed that marking has been done without heat treatment, the marking authorization licence of that person or institution is urgently cancelled and legal and administrative proceedings are initiated against the concerned people.

(3) What is observed during the inspection is recorded in the notarized business inspection book. A period of at least two months is permitted to relieve the deficiencies. At the end of this period, the persons or institutions, not able to relieve their deficiencies, are warned. If the deficiencies are not relieved within one month following the date the written warning is communicated, the marking authorization licence of that person or institution is cancelled under this Regulation.

(4) The persons and institutions previously licensed for marking authorization are inspected according to the provisions of this Regulation.

ARTICLE 25- (1) For those who do not obey the provisions of this Regulation, penal provisions of the Law no 6968 of 15/5/1957 Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine apply.

ARTICLE 26- (1) The Regulation on Marking Wood Packaging Materials with Respect to Plant Health Measures published in the Official Gazette No. 25452 of 4/5/2004 is annulled.

PROVISIONAL ARTICLE 1- (1) The permits of the companies, included in the ISPM 15 marking program and using methyl bromide as required by the provisions of the Regulation on Marking Wood Packaging Materials with Respect to Plant Health Measures published in the Official Gazette No. 25452 of 4/5/2004, will expire on 31/01/2007 because of the environmental hazards caused by methyl bromide.

PROVISIONAL ARTICLE 2- (1) The persons or institutions previously issued with a Wood Packaging Materials Marking Permit and using methyl bromide will be permitted for a period of 15 days to relieve the deficiencies observed during their inspections. The permits of the businesses, which cannot relieve their deficiencies within this period, are cancelled without waiting for the date of 3/1/2007.

ARTICLE 27- (1) This Regulation enters into force on the date of its publication.

ARTICLE 28- (1) The provisions of this Regulation are executed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The wood packaging materials must be heated at a suitable temperature for certain duration in order to obtain a wood core temperature of 56°C for 30 minutes minimum.

Wood packaging materials, which are not marked, must be fumigated with methyl bromide when imported.

The maximum standards of methyl bromide fumigation related to wood packaging materials are shown in the table below.

The minimum temperature must not be lower than 10°C and minimum heat treatment time must be 16 hours.

The mark shown below is used in order to certify that the wood packaging materials carrying this mark have been inspected within the scope of an approved measure.

- Two-letter country code and then the unique number issued by the General Directorate to the producer of wood packaging materials who is responsible for ensuring that suitable wood is used and marked properly,

- IPPC abbreviation according to Annex 1, related to the approved measure used (e.g. HT)

Producers or sellers, if they will, may add control numbers and other information in order to introduce certain consignments. If the wood is demanded as disbarked, DB initials must be added to the abbreviation in the approved measure. Furthermore, other information may be added provided that it is misleading or deceiving.

- not be printed in red or orange because these colours are used in labelling of dangerous

- be printed preferably in a way to be seen easily on at least two opposite sides of the goods certified.

The wood packaging materials recycled, used in manufacturing or repaired must be processed, re-certified and re-marked.

• Position of ceiling above stack (if possible, furnish a reference to drawing)

• What type of material has been used for the wall of drying kiln (..............)

• Type of air outlets (Number and type, plus, if applicable, number of self- driven vacuum dumpers

• Number and position (Number of wet/dry heating stations = see the design for position)

The objective of the operating system of the facility is to have those, who are responsible for supplying the facility with heat and maintaining it, do their jobs correctly. An important part of this procedure is providing the data and details suitable for supporting traceability from the consumers to the origin of all the HT (Heat Treatment) timber and wood packaging materials.

Detailed procedures will be determined for the following fields of operation and other fields of operation found suitable by the heat treatment facility:

2. Processing the timber or wood packaging material to be heat-treated in approved chambers.

4. Setting the diffusion measurement of heat treatment for measuring core temperature.

Annex 6

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS

GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF PROTECTION AND CONTROL

WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS MARKING PERMIT

Document Date:…./…./….

Document Number:………

Name of Company or Person :………………….

Address of Company or Person :………………….

Trade Register Number :………………….

Mark Permitted for Use :………………….

Code number given to the company : 000

This certificate is issued to the said company since its Wood Packaging Materials Marking with Respect to Plant Health Measurements Set According to ISPM 15 Standard Is Approved.

DIRECTOR GENERAL

REGULATION ON MARKING WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS WITH RESPECT TO PLANT HEALTH MEASURES