(1)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/127 (2) sets out requirements for the introduction into the Union territory of, and plant health checks on, wood packaging material carrying, protecting or supporting certain commodities from certain third countries to ensure their compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/127 provides for a minimum frequency rate of plant health check of 15 % of the consignments of the commodities concerned. That Implementing Regulation ceases to apply on 31 December 2023.

(2)

Moreover, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2125 (4) sets out rules concerning the performance of specific official controls of wood packaging material, notification of certain consignments and measures to be taken in case of non-compliance.

(3)

Plant health checks conducted by Member States on the basis of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/127 have shown that wood packaging material used in the transport of certain commodities originating in Belarus, China and India hosted certain Union quarantine pests or was not marked in conformity with International Standards.

(4)

Since the plant health checks conducted in Member States demonstrate that the risk of introduction of live pests into the Union has not decreased, it is necessary that plant health checks continue to be performed on imported wood packaging material carrying, protecting or supporting the commodities concerned originating from Belarus, China and India at the same rate as that provided for in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/127.

(5)

This Regulation should apply until 31 December 2026 to allow time to monitor the situation and determine whether compliance with this Regulation and Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of wood packaging material carrying, protecting or supporting the commodities concerned originating from Belarus, China and India has improved.

(6)

In order to avoid any legal gap and to ensure that plant health checks continue to be performed at the same rate as that provided for in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/127, this Regulation should enter into force as soon as possible.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

(a)

they are supported by, protected by or carried in wood packaging material;

(b)

they originate in one of the third countries listed in the Annex;

(c)

they fall under one of the Combined Nomenclature codes (CN code) laid down in Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 (6), as listed in the Annex.