- 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
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – IPPC contact; inspections by the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto)
- Common pallet sizes
- 1000 × 1200 mm (FIN pallet)
1200 × 800 mm (EUR)
800 × 600 mm (half pallet) - Main ports
- Helsinki (Vuosaari), Hamina-Kotka, Rauma, Turku
Overview
Finland follows the EU wood packaging rules. Pallets, crates and dunnage from outside the EU must be debarked, treated by an ISPM 15 method and carry the IPPC mark (Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 and Annex VII of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072). The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the plant protection authority recorded with the IPPC, and the Finnish Food Authority carries out the practical plant health inspections. The country has the longest EU land border with Russia, which brings significant road and rail freight on wooden pallets; all of it is third-country WPM and has to be marked. Seaborne trade comes in through Helsinki's Vuosaari harbour, Hamina-Kotka, Rauma and Turku, and ferries run to Sweden, Estonia and Germany. Non-compliant wood may be treated, destroyed or sent back to origin at the importer's cost. Finland has an unusual pallet landscape because it has its own standard, the FIN pallet at 1200 × 1000 mm, which is widely used in the forest, paper and food industries, alongside the EUR pallet at 1200 × 800 mm used in retail and trade with continental Europe. Two sizes in parallel mean that handling systems and racking are often adapted to both. Finnish producers make large quantities of heat-treated pallets, and the pallet-pooling scheme and pallet repair sector are mature.
Key points
- Plant health import inspections mainly by the Finnish Food Authority
- Intra-EU movements of WPM generally exempt from ISPM 15 marking (pinewood-nematode rules for Portuguese conifer WPM excepted)
- Long eastern border with Russia: WPM on road and rail from Russia is third-country WPM and needs the mark
- Non-compliant WPM may be treated, destroyed or returned at the importer's expense
Frequently asked questions
Does Finland require ISPM 15 for wooden pallets?
Yes, for wood packaging arriving from outside the EU, including from Russia. Intra-EU movements are generally exempt.
What is a FIN pallet?
A 1200 × 1000 mm pallet used as the Finnish standard in industry, alongside the 1200 × 800 mm EUR pallet.
Who inspects wood packaging in Finland?
The Finnish Food Authority, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as the national plant protection authority.
Sources
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.