- 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
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) – Plant Health
- Common pallet sizes
- 1200 × 800 mm (EUR)
1200 × 1000 mm
1200 × 1200 mm
800 × 600 mm (half pallet) - Main ports
- Dublin, Cork (Ringaskiddy), Rosslare, Shannon Foynes
Overview
Ireland applies EU plant health law, so wood packaging from outside the EU must be debarked, ISPM 15-treated and IPPC-marked (Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 and Annex VII of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072). The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is the national plant protection organisation, and its plant health inspectors carry out checks at Dublin, Cork, Rosslare, Shannon Foynes and airports. Brexit changed the picture for Irish importers: since 1 January 2021 Great Britain is a third country, so pallets coming from Britain, formerly a free-flow intra-EU route, must now carry a valid IPPC mark, a requirement that hits the heavy ro-ro traffic from Holyhead and Liverpool. Northern Ireland stays aligned with the EU rules for plant health. Unmarked wood found on arrival may be treated, destroyed or returned. The Irish pallet landscape is influenced by UK practice as well as continental Europe: the 1200 × 1000 mm UK standard pallet and the 1200 × 800 mm EUR pallet both circulate, and the 1200 × 1200 mm size is also used in some bulk and beverage flows. CHEP and other rental pallet pools have a big presence in grocery and consumer goods, partly via UK-based supply chains. Irish firms that export pharmaceuticals and agri-food typically require compliant, marked pallets for global shipment. Pallet use is much oriented to ro-ro trailers.
Key points
- Since 1 January 2021 the UK, including Great Britain, is a third country: WPM from GB must be ISPM 15 marked
- Northern Ireland follows EU plant health rules under the Windsor Framework
- DAFM inspects at ports and airports; large ro-ro traffic with GB and France
- Non-compliant WPM may be treated, destroyed or returned at the importer's expense
Frequently asked questions
Does Ireland require ISPM 15 for wooden pallets?
Yes, for wood packaging from outside the EU, which since 2021 includes Great Britain.
Do pallets from Northern Ireland need marks?
No, Northern Ireland follows EU plant health rules under the Windsor Framework, so the ISPM 15 requirement does not apply the way it does for Great Britain.
Who is Ireland's plant health authority?
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
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.