The 15th meeting of the CARB/EPA European Certification Body (CETPC) group took place in Borås, Sweden, on 8–9 May 2025. This platform brings together 14 certification bodies from across Europe that work in accordance with the American requirements of CARB and EPA – in particular to control formaldehyde emission limits in board materials.
In the Czech Republic, the only representative is the Dřevařský ústav.

The meeting was, as always, an opportunity to share experiences, unify certification procedures and discuss specific problems that certification bodies solve in practice.

The meeting also featured:

• Online participation by the American certification body CPA (TPC1), who shared their perspective and approach to certification in the USA.
• Workshop with model situations, e.g. changing the adhesive supplier or using multiple types of adhesives – with the aim of defining a uniform approach to assessing these cases.
• A contribution from IKEA, presented by Anna Kozyrkova. She presented the upcoming changes to the IOS-MAT internal standards, including an emphasis on:
• formaldehyde-free foils,
• use of recycled materials,
• a new approach to test reports (including attaching photos),
• and adapting the requirements to REACH legislation.

It is important to emphasize that CETPC is a voluntary platform – membership is not mandatory or legally binding. Nevertheless, it is of great importance for the quality, transparency and uniformity of certification in Europe. This is also because most European certification bodies certify manufacturers supplying IKEA.
Ludmila Kotenová from the Wood Institute comments on the situation: “Collaboration within the CETPC brings practical solutions, strengthens trust in European certification and creates space for smooth communication with global partners such as CARB, EPA or IKEA.”