This European Standard gives guidance on the general procedures to be followed in the sampling and preparation for analysis of wood preservatives and preservative-treated timber. This European Standard is applicable to the provision of appropriate samples for analysis which can be used to check the content of active and other ingredients in preservative formulations, and the content of active and other ingredients of wood preservatives in treated timber, either before, during or after the service life of the timber. NOTE 1 Methods of sampling creosote and creosote-treated timber are described in EN 1014-1, 1014-2 and EN 12490. These are to be used in preference to the recommendations in this European Standard. NOTE 2 No attempt has been made in this document to lay down detailed procedures to be adopted for control purposes at manufacturing plants where large volumes of preservatives are to be sampled. Nor does it attempt to establish procedures for checking the compliance of batches of treated timber with specifications demanding a defined level of treatment (see 6.2).