A draft European Standard is being proposed by CEN TC 38 in which a vermiculite-burial and a soil-burial test to be carried out in succession are required. Various experiments with both procedures were set up with CCA, CC and propiconazole-formulations. The results show that vermiculite and unsterile soil yield comparable threshold values against soft rot. This poses the question of whether a two-stage standard is really justified. Beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) seems a species better suited for soft rot testing compared to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). The surface-to-volume ratio of the test specimens should be at least 4.5 to allow for sufficient mass loss within the prescribed exposure time. A loam-based soil as test substrate resulted in the most pronounced soft rot attack. Further research work needs to be carried out between the European laboratories to optimize the draft standard. Special attention should be paid to check whether an EN 84 leaching procedure can really simulate the depletion of active ingredients from treated wood in ground contact.

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