New regulations concerning the marketing and sale of creosote products and creosote-treated timber are on the horizon, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed.
April 30th, 2023, will be the last date for placing on the market and sale of timber treated with creosote, except for railway sleepers and telecommunication poles.
Stocks of creosote-treated timber not sold by this date may be subject to destruction as hazardous waste or subject to re-export outside of the EU, the DAFM has stated.
Creosote rules
However, there is a period of grace before this:
- December 31st, 2022 – Final sell-out at retail level of containers of creosote products. By this date, stores, merchants and importers must ensure that all stocks of creosote product are sold to professional end-users or else returned to their supplier;
- February 28th, 2023 – Final date for professional users to use creosote products for the treatment of fencing;
- April 30th, 2023 – As outlined.
The Regulation (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1950) renewing the approval for the biocide, creosote for vacuum pressure impregnation of wood used for railway sleepers and telecommunication poles only has been agreed at EU level.
According to the DAFM, authorisations of creosote-containing products will be amended to prohibit the sale and use of creosote products to treat agricultural/equine fencing.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said:
“The DAFM specification for fencing will be updated to reflect the changed status of creosote.”
“All timber fencing posts purchased for grant-aided fencing must be treated and certified in accordance with I.S. 436. The enforcement of this regulation lies with DAFM,” the spokesperson concluded.
Other farming news
In other DAFM-related news, earlier this week, we published an article on a €113m cash injection for GLAS farmers, a piece on the advised circumstances to apply for your herd number to draw down maximum benefit from DAFM as a young, trained farmer, and how the next TB testing rules will impact farmers.
