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European Institute for Wood Preservation

WEI

The objects of the Institute are to:- (a) gather, interpret and disseminate knowledge relating to wood durability and use of wood with enhanced durability, (b) provide facilities whereby and wherein there shall be free exchange between its members of knowledge derived from scientific experimentation and practical experience in the field of wood durability, (c) promote the advantages of wood with enhanced durability obtained by industrial methods

Lobbying Activity

Response to Food and Feed Safety Simplification Omnibus

14 Oct 2025

Simplifying the BPR to support innovation, efficiency, and climate goals in the Wood Preservation sector EWPA and EWPM, representing the European wood preservation industry, welcome the inclusion of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) in the Food and Feed Safety Simplification Omnibus. This initiative comes at a critical time, complementing the upcoming REFIT evaluation of the BPR, and offers a key opportunity to reduce complexity, improve regulatory efficiency, and better align the BPR with EU industrial and climate policy. Biocidal products are essential enablers of climate resilience and circularity. In particular, PT8 wood preservatives extend the lifetime of timber in construction, reducing reliance on carbon-intensive materials such as concrete and steel. However, the current BPR framework remains overly complex, burdensome, and disconnected from key Green Deal priorities. We believe the Omnibus can deliver much-needed simplifications in three core areas: 1. Faster and simpler product authorisation and renewal processes Lengthy delays, duplicative requirements, and inconsistent procedures continue to weigh on companies especially SMEs and discourage innovation. We recommend: - Streamlined renewals when product conditions remain unchanged; - Mandatory pre-submission meetings and checkpoint interactions with evaluating authorities (eCAs); - Alignment of BPR co-formulant requirements with the REACH one substance, one assessment approach. 2. Greater predictability and harmonisation Frequent, retroactive changes in guidance, combined with divergent interpretation across Member States, undermine legal certainty and fragment the internal market. We propose: - Ensuring the applicable guidance at the time of dossier submission remains valid during the evaluation; - Introducing predictable review cycles for updates (e.g. every 10 years), with consultation and transition periods; - Strengthening coordination mechanisms at EU level (via ECHA and the Commission) to ensure consistent implementation. 3. Integration of climate considerations into the BPR PT8 wood preservatives contribute directly to EU climate goals by enabling substitution of high-emission materials. Yet climate impacts are not formally recognised in the current approval framework. We call on the Commission to: - Include climate mitigation potential as a valid derogation criterion under Article 5(2) of the BPR; - Mandate ECHA to develop guidance on how to assess and present climate and socio-economic impacts in dossiers. In addition, we highlight the urgent need to address the expiration of data protection rules under the BPR. The current protection period ends on 31 December 2025, regardless of the review programmes progress. This creates uncertainty and undermines fair cost-sharing. We urge the Commission to adopt a targeted extension covering all safety data generated since 2018, valid until the end of the review programme (31 December 2030), for a maximum duration of 10 years. This solution could be implemented through a delegated act under Article 89(1) of the BPR and would help maintain legal clarity and ensure proportional, enforceable cost-sharing. In conclusion, we believe the Simplification Omnibus is a timely and strategic opportunity to strengthen the BPRs effectiveness and restore confidence across the value chain. EWPA and EWPM remain fully committed to contributing constructively to this process and to supporting a more streamlined and climate-responsive regulatory framework. The full version of our position is attached as a PDF.
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Response to Biotech Act

10 Jun 2025

The Biotech Act should cover a broad scope of biotechnology and biomanufacturing application, notably those that are crucial for decarbonisation, sustainable construction and use of natural resources such as chemical wood protection (currently regulated under the Biocidal Products Regulation BPR 528/2012) and forest-based industries. As rightly indicated by the Commission, the Biotech Act should focus on improving the regulatory framework to enable shorter time-to-market and approval procedures, more EU harmonisation/less national fragmentation, a more competitive business environment and more financing for innovation. In the context of the forest-based and wood protection economy, this can be done by (1) improving implementation of the BPR by reducing approval timelines and simplifying the long and costly mutual recognition procedures; (2) assessing the climate impacts in all EU chemical regulatory decisions (notably BPR); (3) improving implementation of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98 with a better definition (and better sorting rules) of hazardous wood waste; (4) developing comprehensive carbon storage certification methodologies under the new Carbon Removal Certification Framework Regulation 2024/3012 (outdoor infrastructures in addition to buildings). Those reforms would significantly improve competitiveness and innovation of European treated wood, while accelerating decarbonisation and growth notably for construction.
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Meeting with Luis Planas Herrera (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall) and EPPA SA and European Wood Preservative Manufacturers Group

23 Jan 2025 · Circular Economy

Meeting with András Tivadar Kulja (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Oct 2024 · Wood preservation in Europe

Meeting with Dino Toljan (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič), Helena Braun (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič) and

2 May 2024 · Bioeconomy, decarbonisation and the role of wood

Meeting with Olivia Gippner (Cabinet of Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra) and EPPA SA and European Wood Preservative Manufacturers Group

22 Mar 2024 · 2040 target and the role of wood for sustainable construction

Response to Delegated Regulation under the Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (wood panelling)

22 May 2023

WEI promotes the benefits of treated timber whilst representing wood preservation industries within the European Union. The mission of WEI is to increase the market share of treated wood products in outdoor applications decking, fencing, landscaping to the benefit of WEI members. Our vision is that treated timber is a preferred material in outdoor applications in Europe. We agree that fire safety is of major concern and is an important field of attention and like to make a contribution by responding to this Commission Consultation. The proposal for revision of the scope and conditions for classification in EN 14915 is welcomed as long as it based on sufficient scientific and statistical evidence. The current proposal is however, in our view, insufficiently based on actual state of the art knowledge from fire testing, and differentiation should be made regarding the treatment of wood. Only treatment processes that significantly affect the reaction to fire of solid wood panelling and cladding should be subject to review. We appreciate the clarification provided by the delegated regulation for manufacturers of wood products, stating the table of the annex only applies to untreated solid wood panelling and cladding. However, we believe that the definition of untreated wood in paragraph (3) of the draft delegated regulation and footnote 5 of the table in the annex is too narrowly framed, resulting in contradictions to several existing harmonised European standards, considerable legal uncertainty and an unnecessary financial burden for the industry
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