In 1961, the standardization of a common type of pallet was proposed by the Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer (UIC), in English International Union of Railways, thus giving birth to the euro pallet.
European industries adopted the standard, and national associations developed agreements to be able to exchange pallets, so that when delivering a load with euro pallets, the same number of pallets was received in return. The associations were also in charge of repairing the pallets and removing the unused ones.
As euro pallets gained popularity, low-quality imitations began to appear, and in response to this problem, the company was founded in 1991. European Pallet Association (EPAL), which would since then be in charge of certifying euro pallets and granting licenses for their manufacture, under the protection of the UIC.
But in January 2013 a conflict arose, after EPAL’s decision to delegate quality audits to Bureau Veritas instead of the Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS), which had been doing so since the mid-1970s. After the insistence of UIC to continue with SGS, and the firm decision by EPAL to resort to Bureau Veritas, UIC breaks the agreement with EPAL after more than 20 years, which prevents EPAL from certifying new pallets with the UIC/ logo. EUR. EPAL for its part, which already had its own logo, will certify new EPAL/EUR pallets.
The lack of agreement led the UIC to state that EPAL/EUR euro pallets would be considered “private” pallets and could not be interchangeable with UIC/EUR. This decision was received with displeasure by industry and logistics associations and companies, due to the increases in costs and processes that would require having to separate and classify pallets at loading and distribution points.
This situation led EPAL and UIC to meet in Paris in July 2013, in order to sign an agreement that would ensure the free exchange between UIC/EUR and EPAL/EUR pallets. Unfortunately, the signing did not take place, and as of August 1, 2013, the manufacture of euro pallets with the new EPAL certification began.
However, EPAL ensures the exchange of previous pallets (which only carried the EPAL logo in one corner and the EUR and UIC logos in the other corners) with the new EPAL pallets (which carry the EPAL logo on the other corners). four corners and in which the EUR and UIC logos disappear).
The euro pallet is one of only 6 pallet standards recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). During 2012, 67 million euro pallets were manufactured, and it is estimated that there are more than 450 million in circulation worldwide. Between August and October 2013, 10 million pallets have been manufactured with the new EPAL certification.
