Ecclestone Yard London, K&D Joinery
MEDITE SMARTPLY, a leading engineered wood panel manufacturer, has announced its full transition to the revised EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) formaldehyde restriction, known as E05. The updated requirement, introduced under Annex XVII of EU REACH, halves the existing formaldehyde emission threshold for wood-based panels and will come into force for affected products on 6th August 2026.
The revised limit reduces allowable formaldehyde emissions from the current E1 threshold of 0.124mg/m³ to 0.062mg/m³ air concentration, designated industry wide as E05. The restriction applies across the EU market to all formaldehyde-emitting products, including medium-density fibreboard (MDF) panels.
From early April 2026, all MEDITE MDF products affected by the restriction will comply with the E05 emission limit. This includes a wide range of panels used across joinery, cabinetry, interior fit-out and construction applications, including MEDITE INDUSTRIAL MR, MEDITE LITE, MEDITE MR, MEDITE MR LITE, MEDITE MR PLUS, MEDITE PREMIER and MEDITE PREMIER FR.
Products manufactured using no added formaldehyde MDI resins – including MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME, MEDITE EXTERIOR, MEDITE CLEAR and MEDITE VENT – already meet the stricter emission limit and are not subject to additional transition requirements.
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring volatile organic compound present in all wood products at very low levels and is widely used in resin binders during panel manufacture to deliver strength, durability and machining performance. Under the revised REACH requirement, manufacturers must ensure that formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels meet the stricter E05 limit before products are placed on the EU market.
Formaldehyde emissions will continue to be verified using the EN717-1 chamber test method, as recommended by the European Chemicals Agency for wood-based panels, with test reports available on request and able to be shared through the supply chain, provided panels are not altered with additional layers or coatings that could affect formaldehyde content.
Updated Declarations of Performance, safety data sheets and product datasheets confirming E05 compliance will be issued as part of the transition, and while Construction Product Regulation markings will continue to reference E1 for CPR purposes, supporting documentation will confirm alignment with the revised EU REACH requirement where applicable.
“We’ve been preparing for the revised EU REACH restriction for some time,” says Guillaume Coste, Technical Services Manager at MEDITE SMARTPLY. “We have been investing in testing and production readiness so that customers can expect the same dependable performance from MEDITE MDF as the industry moves to the lower E05 threshold. While compliance is changing, the standards our customers expect from the board are not.”
Although the REACH revision is an EU requirement and does not directly alter Great Britain’s product regulation, MEDITE’s transition ensures continued access to the EU market for exporters. The restriction will also apply in Northern Ireland under ongoing alignment with relevant EU chemical regulation.
To support customers and specifiers, MEDITE SMARTPLY will be hosting a series of technical webinars to provide further clarity on the revised requirement and its practical implications. To attend the first webinar in the series, on Friday, 30th January at 10am, you can register here.
To learn more about MEDITE SMARTPLY’s alignment with the EU REACH Revision, please visit www.mdfosb.com/en/eu-reach-revision.
