A Commission regulation published on 13 July 2026 amends Annex XVII to the REACH Regulation, replacing entry 31 on creosote and creosote-related substances. The regulation bans the placing on the market and use of these substances for wood treatment, with a narrow derogation for strictly controlled industrial vacuum pressure impregnation. Treated wood may only be placed on the market or used for railway sleepers or utility poles under specific conditions and Member State listing. Existing treated wood already in use may remain in place for the same purpose.
The regulation, adopted by the European Commission and notified to the Council via a cover note, tightens the previous restrictions on creosote, a coal-tar distillate used as a wood preservative. The ban covers a list of substances with their CAS and EC numbers. The derogation for industrial use requires that benzo[a]pyrene content is below 50 mg/kg and water-extractable phenols below 3% by weight. Packaging must be at least 200 litres, not intended for the general public, and labelled "For use in industrial installations only" with mandatory risk management measures including contained areas, impermeable hard standing, bunding, shelter, and loss collection.
Treated wood may be placed on the market or used only if it complies with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1950, which sets conditions for railway sleepers and utility poles for electricity and telecommunications. If a Member State is removed from the European Chemicals Agency's list of authorised states, an additional 180 days is allowed for existing stocks. Users must keep records of supplies and disposal for the duration of use plus ten years; if the wood is further placed on the market, an additional ten years of record-keeping is required.
The regulation impacts several stakeholders. EU producers and importers of creosote and treated wood face a near-total ban, with compliance costs for industrial users who must upgrade facilities to meet the strict conditions. EU railway and utility companies benefit from continued access to creosote-treated poles and sleepers under the derogation, but must ensure their suppliers are listed under the implementing regulation. EU consumers and the general public are protected from exposure to hazardous substances, as the ban prevents sale to non-professionals. EU environmental and health authorities gain a stronger regulatory tool to reduce risks from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols.
The regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will be directly applicable in all Member States, replacing existing national restrictions that may have varied. The European Chemicals Agency will maintain the list of Member States authorised for the derogation, and any changes to that list will trigger the 180-day transitional period for treated wood already on the market.