- 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
- Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket)
- Common pallet sizes
- 1200 × 800 mm (EUR)
1200 × 1000 mm
800 × 600 mm (half pallet) - Main ports
- Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Malmö, Stockholm (Nynäshamn)
Overview
Sweden applies the EU rules for wood packaging: from outside the EU, pallets, crates and dunnage must have been debarked, treated by an ISPM 15 method and marked with the IPPC logo, as set out in Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 and Annex VII of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. The competent authority is the Swedish Board of Agriculture, Jordbruksverket, whose plant health unit in Uppsala is the IPPC contact point. Plant inspectors check consignments at the main entry points, which include Gothenburg, the largest container port in the Nordic region, as well as Helsingborg, Malmö and the Stockholm region. Wood packaging found without a valid mark, or carrying pests, is treated, destroyed or returned to origin at the importer's expense, and repeat offenders can face intensified checks. Forest products dominate the Swedish economy, and the country has a strong tradition of domestic pallet production and repair. The 1200 × 800 mm EUR pallet is standard in retail and groceries, with 1200 × 1000 mm common in industrial and paper-related logistics. Trade with neighbouring Finland and Norway adds a Nordic wrinkle: Norway is not in the EU, so Norwegian-bound or Norwegian-origin freight is a third-country movement for plant health purposes and wood packaging must be marked. Sweden's long Baltic Sea ferry network, with ro-ro traffic from Germany, Poland and the Baltic states, moves a large share of palletised cargo.
Key points
- Jordbruksverket is the NPPO; plant inspectors operate at ports and airports
- Intra-EU movements of WPM generally exempt from ISPM 15 marking (pinewood-nematode rules for Portuguese conifer WPM excepted)
- Sweden is a major sawn-timber producer, so heat-treated pallets are plentiful
- Non-compliant WPM may be treated, destroyed or returned at the importer's expense
Frequently asked questions
Does Sweden require ISPM 15 for wooden pallets?
Yes, for wood packaging coming from outside the EU. Within the EU, marking is generally not required.
Who enforces wood packaging rules in Sweden?
The Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket), the national plant protection organisation.
Do pallets from Norway need the IPPC mark?
Yes. Norway is outside the EU, so its wood packaging is treated as third-country WPM and must carry the ISPM 15 mark.
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.