Sources and editorial standards

ENplus® ST 1001:2022 — ENplus® wood pellets – Requirements for companies (2nd edition) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet Council / Bioenergy Europe, DEPIapproved 18.06.2025, in force from 01.01.2026Certification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

Annex A, Table 4 (threshold values) and Table 5 (raw material). The limits are the same as in the first edition; the method for determining fines has changed to ISO 5370.

ENplus® ST 1003:2022 — Usage of the ENplus® trademarks – Requirements (2nd edition) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet Council / Bioenergy Europe, DEPIin force from 01.01.2026Certification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

Clause 7.2.3, Table 3 — mandatory markings on the bag.

ENplus® — certified producers (Producer database) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilRegisteraccessed: 11/09/2026

Searchable by name, country and status (active / suspended / terminated). Producers have numbers XX 001–299.

ENplus® — certified traders (Trader database) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilRegisteraccessed: 11/09/2026

Traders have numbers XX 301–899; service providers XX 901 SP–999 SP.

ENplus® — information for consumers (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

ENplus® Fraud Management — handling misuse of the trademark (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

More than 1,500 cases of trademark misuse since 2014; around 20% involve false ENplus markings on bags and 14% forged certificates.

ENplus® — blacklist (Blacklists) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilRegisteraccessed: 11/09/2026

ENplus® — conformity assessment bodies (certification and testing) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilRegisteraccessed: 11/09/2026

Certification bodies: ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation; testing bodies: ISO/IEC 17025.

ENplus® — national partners (National Licensers) (opens in a new tab)

European Pellet CouncilCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

DINplus — certification of class A1 wood pellets (scheme description) (opens in a new tab)

Holzforschung AustriaCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

DINplus is a DIN CERTCO (TÜV Rheinland group) certification for class A1 according to DIN EN ISO 17225-2, with annual inspection and internal control.

Certification Scheme “Wood Pellets Class A1 – DINplus” (opens in a new tab)

DIN CERTCOCertification scheme requires verificationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Document unavailable at the time of verification; values (including durability ≥ 98.0% and fines ≤ 0.5% in bags) confirmed indirectly.

DIN CERTCO — certificate database (opens in a new tab)

DIN CERTCO / TÜV RheinlandRegister requires verificationaccessed: 11/09/2026

FSC Chain of Custody certification (opens in a new tab)

Forest Stewardship CouncilCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

FSC Public Certificate Search (opens in a new tab)

Forest Stewardship CouncilRegisteraccessed: 11/09/2026

The new search.fsc.org tool is in beta; FSC plans to launch it fully in 2026.

PEFC Chain of Custody certification (opens in a new tab)

PEFC UKCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

PEFC — Find certified (certificate search) (opens in a new tab)

PEFC InternationalRegisteraccessed: 11/09/2026

Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) — certificate holders (opens in a new tab)

SBPCertification schemeaccessed: 11/09/2026

TARIC — measure information for code 4401 31 00 (wood pellets), origin: Ukraine (opens in a new tab)

European Commission, DG TAXUDas of 29.09.2026 (database updated 28.09.2026)Registeraccessed: 29/09/2026

Third-country duty 0% (Reg. 2261/98); import bans on Crimea and Sevastopol (Reg. 692/2014) and on the areas of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts not controlled by the Ukrainian government (Reg. 2022/263).

ISO 17225-2:2021 Solid biofuels — Fuel specifications and classes — Part 2: Graded wood pellets (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 2382nd edition, 2021-05Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

Edition and scope of changes confirmed in the official preview of the standard. Detailed ISO values were compared with the FDIS draft — see the separate source.

ISO/FDIS 17225-2 — final draft of the standard (text published by AIEL) (opens in a new tab)

ISO / AIEL2020Standard requires verificationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Values taken from the FDIS draft; exact ISO figures must be confirmed in a purchased copy of the standard before they are published.

ISO 17225-1:2021 Solid biofuels — Fuel specifications and classes — Part 1: General requirements (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 2382021Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

Classification of raw-material origin (e.g. 1.1.3 stemwood, 1.2.1 wood-processing industry residues).

ISO/TC 238 Solid biofuels — catalogue of published standards (opens in a new tab)

ISOStandardaccessed: 11/09/2026

Current editions of the test method standards for solid biofuels.

ISO 18134-1:2022, -2:2024, -3:2023 Solid biofuels — Determination of moisture content (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 18122:2022 Solid biofuels — Determination of ash content (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 18125:2017 Solid biofuels — Determination of calorific value (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 17831-1:2025 Solid biofuels — Determination of mechanical durability of pellets and briquettes — Part 1: Pellets (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 5370:2023 Solid biofuels — Determination of fines content in pellets (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

Replaced the withdrawn ISO 18846:2016.

ISO 17828:2025 Solid biofuels — Determination of bulk density (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 17829:2025 Solid biofuels — Determination of length and diameter of pellets (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 16948:2015 Solid biofuels — Determination of total content of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 16994:2026 Solid biofuels and pyrogenic biocarbon — Determination of sulfur and chlorine content (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 21404:2020 Solid biofuels — Determination of ash melting behaviour (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

Replaced CEN/TS 15370-1:2006.

ISO 16967:2015 and ISO 16968:2015 Solid biofuels — Determination of major / minor elements (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 18135:2017 Sampling; ISO 21945:2020 Simplified sampling; ISO 14780:2017 Sample preparation (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

ISO 18847:2024 Solid biofuels — Determination of particle density of pellets and briquettes (opens in a new tab)

ISO / TC 238Standard paid documentaccessed: 11/09/2026

Rozporządzenie Ministra Klimatu i Środowiska z dnia 8 maja 2025 r. w sprawie wymagań jakościowych dla biomasy pozyskanej z drzew i krzewów… w postaci brykietu lub peletu (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 618) [Polish regulation on quality requirements for wood biomass in the form of briquettes or pellets] (opens in a new tab)

Minister Klimatu i Środowiskain force from 24.05.2025Legislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Covers wood pellets and briquettes for households and installations below 1 MW.

Nowe wymagania jakościowe dla brykietu i peletu [New quality requirements for briquettes and pellets] (opens in a new tab)

Ministerstwo Klimatu i Środowiska (gov.pl)Legislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Council Regulation (EU) 2022/355 of 2 March 2022 (restrictive measures — Belarus) (opens in a new tab)

Council of the European UnionLegislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Ban on imports of wood products (CN chapter 44, including wood pellets) from Belarus.

Council Regulation (EU) 2022/576 of 8 April 2022 (5th sanctions package — Russia) (opens in a new tab)

Council of the European UnionLegislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Annex XXI to Regulation 833/2014 covers the whole of CN chapter 44 (including wood pellets).

Uchwała antysmogowa dla Małopolski [Anti-smog resolution for Małopolska] (opens in a new tab)

Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa MałopolskiegoLegislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Uchwała antysmogowa dla Krakowa [Anti-smog resolution for Kraków] (opens in a new tab)

Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa MałopolskiegoLegislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Uchwała antysmogowa dla województwa śląskiego (V/36/1/2017) [Anti-smog resolution for the Silesia region] (opens in a new tab)

Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa ŚląskiegoLegislationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of 31 May 2023 on deforestation-free products (EUDR) (opens in a new tab)

European Parliament and Council of the EULegislationaccessed: 29/09/2026

Annex I covers heading 4401, including sawdust and wood waste agglomerated into pellets.

Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 of 19 December 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (opens in a new tab)

European Parliament and Council of the EUOJ L of 23.12.2025Legislationaccessed: 29/09/2026

New Article 38: applies from 30.12.2026; for micro and small enterprises from 30.06.2027 — except for products listed in the annex to Regulation 995/2010 (including wood pellets).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 of 13 July 2026 amending Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (opens in a new tab)

European CommissionOJ L of 17.09.2026Legislationaccessed: 29/09/2026

Entry “ex 4401” stays within the EUDR; waste within the meaning of Directive 2008/98/EC and single-use packaging are excluded.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1093 of 22 May 2025 — list of low-risk and high-risk countries (EUDR) (opens in a new tab)

European CommissionLegislationaccessed: 29/09/2026

Ukraine is on the list of low-risk countries.

Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of 20 October 2010 — obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market (EUTR) (opens in a new tab)

European Parliament and Council of the EULegislationaccessed: 29/09/2026

The annex covers heading 4401 (including pellets). Repealed with effect from 30.12.2026 (Article 37 of Regulation 2023/1115 as amended by 2025/2650).

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 — uniform conditions on plant health (lists of goods requiring a phytosanitary certificate) (opens in a new tab)

European CommissionLegislation requires verificationaccessed: 29/09/2026

The lists cover, among other things, non-agglomerated chips, sawdust and wood waste (4401 21, 4401 22, 4401 40); pellets (4401 31) are not listed. Requirements for a specific delivery are confirmed by a customs agency or the plant health inspection.

Interpretacja indywidualna 0113-KDIPT1-1.4012.543.2018.1.WL [individual tax ruling: VAT rate on the sale of wood pellets, PKWiU 16.29.14.0] (opens in a new tab)

Director of the National Tax Information (Poland)Legislationaccessed: 29/09/2026

Wood pellets — 23% VAT rate. Rate unchanged in 2026 (the industry is lobbying for a cut to 8%, as for agricultural biomass pellets); a binding rate ruling (WIS) gives certainty.

Alakangas E. et al., Properties of indigenous fuels in Finland (VTT Technology 272) (opens in a new tab)

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland2016Scientific sourceaccessed: 11/09/2026

Krajnc N., Wood Fuels Handbook (opens in a new tab)

FAO2015Scientific sourceaccessed: 11/09/2026

Table 10 — typical values according to CEN/TS 14961:2010.

Schmidl C. et al., Wooden biofuels in Europe – quantities and corrosion relevant characteristics (opens in a new tab)

BIOENERGY 2020+ / 18th European Biomass Conference, Lyon2010Scientific sourceaccessed: 11/09/2026

Drobniak A. et al., Quality assessment of biomass pellets available on the market; example from Poland (opens in a new tab)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research 31:33942–339592024Scientific sourceaccessed: 11/09/2026

30 wood pellet samples from the Polish market; 10 did not meet the requirements for durability and/or fines.

Petrokas R. et al., Development of Forest Tree Species Composition: Selected Results of the NFI of Lithuania (opens in a new tab)

Plants 14(5):6672025Scientific sourceaccessed: 11/09/2026

Leśnictwo w 2024 r. [Forestry in 2024] (opens in a new tab)

Główny Urząd Statystyczny30.06.2025Official statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Raport o stanie lasów w Polsce 2024 [Report on the state of forests in Poland 2024] (opens in a new tab)

PGL Lasy PaństwoweOfficial statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Správa o lesnom hospodárstve v SR za rok 2024 (Zelená správa) (opens in a new tab)

MPRV SR / Národné lesnícke centrumadopted 01.10.2025Official statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Zpráva o stavu lesa a lesního hospodářství ČR v roce 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Ministerstvo zemědělství ČROfficial statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

KSH — SDG indicator 3.49: forest cover (2024) (opens in a new tab)

Központi Statisztikai HivatalOfficial statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Magyarország erdeinek összefoglaló adatai 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Agrárminisztérium (Hungary)Official statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Species percentages calculated by the editors from the areas given in hectares.

Latvian Forest Sector in Facts & Figures 2023 (opens in a new tab)

Ministry of Agriculture of LatviaOfficial statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Distribution and protection of forests (statistical forest inventory 2023) (opens in a new tab)

Keskkonnaagentuur / LoodusveebOfficial statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Der Wald in Deutschland — Ausgewählte Ergebnisse der vierten Bundeswaldinventur (opens in a new tab)

BMEL / Thünen-Institut10.2024Official statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

Österreichische Waldinventur — results (press release) (opens in a new tab)

BFW — Bundesforschungszentrum für Wald20.07.2022Official statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

General characteristic of Ukrainian forests (opens in a new tab)

State Forest Resources Agency of UkraineOfficial statisticsaccessed: 11/09/2026

EU trade since 1988 by HS2-4-6 and CN8 (DS-045409) — import do Polski, CN 4401 31 00, partner: Ukraina (opens in a new tab)

Eurostat (Comext)annual data 2021–2025, updated 15.09.2026Official statisticsaccessed: 29/09/2026

Import quantity (100 kg) and statistical value (EUR); partner country = country of origin. Shares and average value per tonne calculated by PeletLab.

ENplus suspends all certified companies in Belarus and Russia (opens in a new tab)

Bioenergy International16.03.2022Industry organisationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Suspension of all certified companies in Russia and Belarus from 15.04.2022.

EU import ban on Russian wood (opens in a new tab)

European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS)10.04.2022Industry organisationaccessed: 11/09/2026

Polska Rada Pelletu przedłużyła statut NPA [Polish Pellet Council extended its NPA status] (opens in a new tab)

Polska Rada Pelletu11.09.2020Industry organisation requires verificationaccessed: 11/09/2026

The association’s current status within the ENplus scheme has not been confirmed.