EPAL: the European pallet system, marks, licensing and exchange
EPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) runs the open exchange pool for EPAL Euro pallets. Only licensed producers and repairers may make or repair them, and independent inspectors check quality. The EPAL 1 is 800 × 1200 × 144 mm, about 25 kg, with a 1,500 kg safe working load.
EPAL is the reason a pallet loaded in Poland can be swapped for another at a warehouse in Spain. The European Pallet Association e.V., based in Düsseldorf, runs a licensed system for making, repairing and exchanging wooden load carriers, headed by the EPAL Euro pallet. EPAL states that more than 650 million EPAL pallets are in circulation worldwide. EPAL is a registered trademark of the association. pallet.design uses the name only to describe the system and is not affiliated with it.
What is the EPAL system?
EPAL is not a single document but a system with four parts:
| Element | What it means |
|---|---|
| Technical Regulations | EPAL's own production and repair rules for each load carrier |
| Licensing | Only licensed producers may make and mark EPAL pallets; only licensed repairers may repair them |
| Independent quality control | Inspection companies check licensees' production and repair |
| Open exchange pool | Users swap EPAL pallets of equivalent quality instead of returning the same pallets |
The euro pallet's design goes back to the railway pallet defined in UIC leaflet 435-2. Today the European production standard for the footprint is EN 13698-1, and EPAL pallets are built to EPAL's Technical Regulations.
EPAL Euro pallet (EPAL 1) specifications
From EPAL's published data sheet:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Size | 800 × 1200 mm (±3 mm), EPAL lists 800 mm as length |
| Height | 144 mm |
| Weight | About 25 kg |
| Components | 11 boards, 9 wood-chip or solid wood blocks, 78 nails |
| Safe working load | 1,500 kg |
| Stacking | Bottom pallet max. 5,500 kg when laden pallets are stacked on a solid, even surface |
| Entry | Four-way; bottom boards chamfered both sides |
| Treatment | Heat treated (HT) to ISPM 15 for all new EPAL pallets since 1 January 2010 |
EPAL also licenses other load carriers, including other pallet sizes and a box pallet. Check EPAL's product pages for the current list and data sheets.
How to read EPAL marks
EPAL defines where every mark goes. On the EPAL Euro pallet:
| Location | Mark |
|---|---|
| Left and right corner blocks | "EPAL" in an oval |
| Middle block | IPPC mark (wheat ear, country code, producer's IPPC number, HT); EPAL ID with the producer's licence number and production year and month |
| One of the middle blocks | EPAL control staple |
| One of the middle blocks, after repair | EPAL repair marking nail with the EPAL logo and the repairer's licence number |
EPAL Euro QR pallets also carry a QR code; damaged QR codes can be reprinted or replaced during repair. Older pallets in circulation may show different corner-block marks from before EPAL's current marking scheme. Pallets with missing, painted-over or doubtful EPAL marks should not be accepted as EPAL in exchange. The marks and control staple are what distinguish a licensed pallet from a look-alike.
See pallet stamps and markings for how EPAL marks sit alongside other pallet marks.
Quality control
EPAL uses independent inspection companies rather than self-certification. EPAL names Bureau Veritas and China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC) as its inspectors, completing more than 25,000 inspections a year at licensees' premises. Inspections cover production and repair. This is what allows users to accept another company's EPAL pallet in exchange.
Repair
Damaged EPAL pallets are repaired by more than 1,000 EPAL-licensed repair operations, using dimensionally correct components to the Technical Regulations. A repaired pallet carries the repair marking nail. Unlicensed repairs take the pallet out of the EPAL system. Repairs also have ISPM 15 consequences; see ISO 18613 and ISPM 15 section 4.3.
Exchange
The EPAL pool is an open pool: there is no central owner collecting rent. When a truck delivers loaded EPAL pallets, the receiver typically hands back the same number of empty EPAL pallets of equivalent quality, or the difference is settled through pallet exchange accounts or cash. Exchange terms are commercial arrangements between the parties, often written into freight contracts. EPAL publishes a Quality Classification that separates new pallets from used Class A, B and C pallets. It applies only when both parties agree to use it; otherwise EPAL's Terms of Exchange treat new and used Class A, B and C pallets as exchangeable, provided they have no damage that affects usability. Compare this with rental pools such as CHEP in pallet pooling.
When should a buyer specify EPAL?
- You ship into European retail or logistics networks that expect exchangeable EPAL pallets.
- Your freight contracts include pallet exchange.
- You want a proven, standardized pallet with a published safe working load.
If you run a closed loop and do not need exchange, an unbranded pallet built to EN 13698-1 can cost less. If you need a different size or a heavier build, specify a custom block pallet instead.
How to reference it on a spec sheet
- "EPAL Euro pallet, new, from an EPAL-licensed producer, EPAL and IPPC HT marks as per EPAL Technical Regulations."
- "Used EPAL Euro pallets, Class A per the EPAL Quality Classification."
- "Licence number and production date to be legible on the middle block."
Do not describe a non-licensed pallet as "EPAL" or "EPAL-equivalent" on a drawing; say "800 × 1200 mm, construction per EN 13698-1" instead. The EPAL 1 template models the standard construction for reference.
Frequently asked questions
Is EPAL the same as a euro pallet?
A euro pallet is the 800 × 1200 mm pallet type. EPAL is the association and trademark behind the licensed version. An EPAL Euro pallet is a euro pallet made by an EPAL licensee to EPAL's rules and marked with the EPAL oval.
What is the load capacity of an EPAL pallet?
EPAL states a safe working load of 1,500 kg for the EPAL Euro pallet, and a maximum of 5,500 kg on the bottom pallet when laden pallets are stacked on a solid, even surface.
Are EPAL pallets heat treated?
Yes. EPAL states that all newly produced EPAL pallets have been heat treated to ISPM 15 since 1 January 2010, and the IPPC mark is on the middle block.
Can any manufacturer make EPAL pallets?
No. EPAL is a registered trademark. Only licensed producers may manufacture and mark EPAL pallets, and only licensed repairers may repair them.
Sources and references
- EPAL Euro pallet (European Pallet Association e.V.)
- EPAL quality assurance (European Pallet Association e.V.)
- EPAL Euro pallet product data sheet, PB 05/2025 (European Pallet Association e.V.)
Related
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- GlossaryEPALEPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) is the organization that licenses manufacturers and repairers of EPAL Euro pallets and other EPAL load carriers and controls their quality. The EPAL 1 Euro pallet is a 1200 × 800 × 144 mm block pallet used in open pallet exchange across Europe.
- StandardsEN 13698: production specifications for 800 × 1200 and 1000 × 1200 wooden palletsEN 13698 is the European production specification for reusable flat wooden pallets. EN 13698-1:2003 covers the 800 × 1200 mm four-way, nine-block pallet (the euro pallet footprint); EN 13698-2:2009 covers the 1000 × 1200 mm nine-block pallet with skid or perimeter base.
- Sizes1200 × 800 pallet (Euro pallet): dimensions, weight and specsA 1200 × 800 mm pallet (47.2 × 31.5 in) is the Euro pallet, standardized as EPAL 1 / EUR 1 and one of the six ISO 6780 sizes. The EPAL 1 is 144 mm tall, weighs about 25 kg, and has a safe working load of 1,500 kg. It is the standard pallet for European retail and food logistics.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- GlossaryPallet exchangePallet exchange is an arrangement where a receiver hands back an equal number of empty pallets of the same type and quality for the loaded pallets it receives, so the shipper does not lose pallets with each delivery.
- GuidesPallet pooling: how CHEP, PECO and iGPS rental worksPallet pooling is renting pallets instead of buying them. A pooler such as CHEP (blue), PECO (red) or iGPS (plastic) owns standard 48 × 40 in pallets, issues them to shippers, collects them from receivers, then inspects, repairs and reissues them. You pay fees per use, not a purchase price.
- GuidesPallet stamps and markings: HT, MB, DB, KD and what they meanMost wood pallet stamps are the ISPM 15 mark: IPPC wheat symbol, country code, facility number and treatment code. HT means heat-treated, DH dielectric heating, MB methyl bromide, SF sulfuryl fluoride. DB (debarked) and KD (kiln-dried) are older or separate marks. For reuse, pick HT and avoid MB.
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Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 920 words.