Wooden pallets are closely tied to major environmental and industrial issues. This page gathers essential information on standards, international regulations, sustainable practices, and professional organisations in the sector.
Understanding the environmental, regulatory and organisational dimensions of wooden pallets is vital for all logistics actors. Palettes Europe provides useful resources to guide your decisions.
Circular economy
Wooden pallets are an excellent example of circular economy: repairable, reusable, recyclable. Responsible management helps reduce waste and extend product lifespan.
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ISPM 15 standard
ISPM 15 governs wood treatment for international shipping, preventing the spread of pests via packaging.
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PEFC certification
The PEFC label ensures that the wood comes from sustainably managed forests, increasingly valued in CSR strategies.
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Industry organisations
Several bodies support the wooden pallet industry at national and European levels, promoting best practices and defending the sector's interests.
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Counterfeit pallets
Fake EUR/EPAL pallets are a growing issue, impacting user safety and undermining the credibility of certification systems.
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Faempal
Faempal is a Spanish manufacturer of pallets and wooden packaging based in Pego, in the province of Alicante. Certified PEFC, ISPM 15 and ISO 9001, it supplies the regions of Castelló, València, Alicante and Murcia.
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What is changing for the wooden pallet
The PPWR, applicable since 12 August 2026
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, known as the PPWR, replaces Directive 94/62/EC. Where a directive had to be transposed country by country, a regulation applies directly across the twenty-seven member states, which puts an end to national differences in interpretation.
The handling pallet falls within the scope of the text as transport packaging. The sensitive points for the sector concern reuse, recycled content, recyclability and the declaration of conformity the manufacturer hands to its customer. EPAL published its own EU declarations of conformity under article 39 of the regulation for its load carriers, in time for the 12 August 2026 deadline.
Wood holds a favourable position here: repairable, reusable and recyclable at end of life, it already meets most of what the text expects, provided traceability keeps up. See also our page on the circular economy.
Deforestation regulation, deadline pushed back
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, known as the EUDR, bans the placing on the European market of products from land deforested after 31 December 2020, wood being one of the seven commodities covered. Regulation (EU) 2025/2650, published on 23 December 2025, postponed its application to 30 December 2026 for large operators and traders, and to 30 June 2027 for small and micro operators.
In practice, a pallet manufacturer will have to file a due diligence statement and document the geographical origin of its timber. A sustainable management certification such as the PEFC label makes that traceability work easier without replacing it.
Regulatory and normative framework
European standards
- UIC 435-2-0: EUR pallet manufacturing
- UIC 435-4-OR: EUR pallet repair
- EN 13698-1: Technical specifications
- AQF 335: Railway quality assurance
International regulations
- ISPM 15, NIMP 15 in French: phytosanitary treatment of wooden packaging
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40, known as PPWR: packaging and packaging waste
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, known as EUDR: deforestation-free products
Labels and certifications
- EPAL: Quality certification
- PEFC: Sustainable forest management
- FSC: Forest Stewardship Council
- SFI: Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Control bodies
- Bureau Veritas: Quality control
- EPAL: European association
- Approved national bodies
- Accredited laboratories