- ISPM 15 on imports
- Required
- Enforced since
- 2005
- Treatments
- HT, DH, SF accepted on imports; MB-marked WPM accepted if ISPM 15 compliant, but MB fumigation itself is no longer permitted inside the EU
- Plant protection authority
- Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV-AFSCA); policy by FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
- Common pallet sizes
- 1200 × 800 mm (EUR/EPAL)
1200 × 1000 mm
800 × 600 mm (half pallet) - Main ports
- Antwerp-Bruges, Ghent (North Sea Port), Zeebrugge (Antwerp-Bruges), Liège (airport/inland hub)
Overview
Belgium splits its plant health role between two federal bodies. FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment holds the IPPC contact point and sets policy, while the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV in Dutch, AFSCA in French) carries out controls. Under EU rules, Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, wood packaging from non-EU countries must be debarked, ISPM 15 treated and marked, an obligation in force since 1 March 2005. FAVV-AFSCA authorises the Belgian companies that treat, produce, repair or trade ISPM 15 packaging and keeps a public list of approved firms. Its guidance notes that methyl bromide treatment has been prohibited in the EU since 2010, so domestic treatment relies on heat, dielectric heating or sulfuryl fluoride. The agency singles out shipments of stone, iron and steel products from China, Belarus and India for enhanced checks after repeated finds of pests such as the Asian longhorn beetle. Those emergency measures have applied since 1 March 2021 and are now continued under Regulation (EU) 2024/288. Non-compliant packaging found at Antwerp-Bruges or other entry points is held until it is treated, destroyed or re-exported. Belgium sits on the main north-west European distribution corridor, and the merged Port of Antwerp-Bruges is one of Europe's largest breakbulk and container gateways. The EUR 1200 × 800 mm pallet is the domestic standard. The 1200 × 1000 mm format is widespread in the chemical cluster around Antwerp, and international pooling networks such as CHEP and LPR serve Belgian retail.
Key points
- FAVV-AFSCA authorises companies that treat, produce, repair or trade ISPM 15 packaging and publishes the list
- Asian longhorn beetle interceptions cited as the reason for enhanced checks on goods from China, India and Belarus
- Emergency measures on WPM with stone, iron and steel from China, Belarus and India applied since 1 March 2021 (now Reg. (EU) 2024/288)
- Intra-EU movements of WPM generally exempt from ISPM 15 marking (pinewood-nematode rules for Portuguese conifer WPM excepted)
- Non-compliant WPM is held for treatment, destruction or re-export
Frequently asked questions
Does Belgium require ISPM 15 for wooden pallets?
Yes, for wood packaging arriving from non-EU countries. Within the EU, pallets generally move without the mark.
Which Belgian authority approves ISPM 15 pallet makers?
FAVV-AFSCA, the federal food chain safety agency. It authorises treatment, production, repair and trading companies and publishes the list.
Why are steel and stone shipments from China checked more often?
Wood packaging with these goods has repeatedly been found carrying pests such as the Asian longhorn beetle. The EU therefore sets a minimum check rate for these consignments.
Sources
- FAVV – Advies houten verpakkingsmateriaal (Sept. 2021)
- IPPC country page – Belgium
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/288 on checks of wood packaging material (ECOLEX)
Import rules change. Confirm current requirements with the national plant protection organization or your importer before shipping. This page is general information, not legal advice.