Companies sending products to Europe on wooden pallets are urged to begin using new markings that identify the type of pest treatment performed on the pallet. Starting the first of this month, the Commission of the European Communities has adopted emergency measures that require all pallets containing softwood to be treated and marked accordingly. The measure is designed to prevent introduction of the Pinewood Nematode, a microscopic eelworm that has caused damage to pines in Japan and China.

Hardwood pallets are exempt from the markings. However, the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association recommends that all pallets, hard and soft, be marked.