The use of NTR references led to a marketing offence conviction in Finland

In Finland, a conviction has been handed down for a marketing offense related to the use of NTR markings and tags.

In its labelling, the Finnish company VS Turva-Aidat Oy has used printouts called parcel vouchers that identify the stack in terms of appearance, colouring and shape, and piece markings on timber that are commonly used in the NTR quality system. The company’s marketing and product labelling have sought to create the impression that the timber it markets has been part of the NTR quality system for impregnated wood.

The defendant, who was responsible for the operations of VS Turva-Aidat Oy, has committed the marketing offense described in the indictment. As a sanction, the court imposed fines and community fines and ordered the defendants to pay the costs of settlement, as well as the damage caused by the marketing offense and litigation costs.

The NTR quality system is created and maintained by Nordic Wood Preservation Council/Nordiska Träskyddsrådet. National Associations oversee the use of the system in the Nordic countries. Producers of impregnated wood who wish to produce impregnated wood under the NTR quality scheme may apply for quality control when the conditions set out in the NTR documents are met. If the conditions are met, the producer has the right to produce classified impregnated wood and the obligation to mark the product with NTR quality marks and to mark the product as A and AB timber belonging to the NTR quality system. NTR quality marks are registered EU trademarks.