1. Back grounds and the process of the revision and new stipulation of the criteria
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had been preparing to revise the Building Standard Law in order to strengthen the measures on the sick house issues since 2001. The revised Law bill was submitted to the Diet for its approval in 2002 and upon its approval, the revised Law was enforced on the 1st of July, 2003.
During the preparatory stage, MLIT evaluated the criteria and related matters and upon the enforcement of the revised Law the regulatory measures have been taken.
Whereas, the mutual consultations on the appropriate regulatory measures had been taken place among relevant Ministries. Among others, MAFF and MEI, in charge of supply of the construction materials and Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) or Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS), set forward the revision of the criteria for formaldehyde emission amount in JAS or JIS and regulatory measures as well.
As a result of these efforts, the construction materials which clear the conventional criteria did not fulfill for putting them out of the regulatory measures, and the necessity to stipulate a new criterion for less amount of emission was recognized.
MAFF and MEI started their necessary measures to revise JAS or JIS respectively, and stipulated the new lower level criteria for the formaldehyde emission amount of the relevant construction materials in charge.
Together with the criteria above, both Ministries took the common labeling form (F☆☆☆☆), which had been different from each other, that is, Fc0 for JAS and E0 for JIS.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the revision of JAS for relevant construction materials (plywood, glued laminated lumber, flooring, laminated veneer lumber and structural panel) on 27th February, 2003, and after 30 days from the announcement, these JAS standards were enforced.
Ministry of Economy and Industry announced the revision of JIS for relevant construction materials (medium density fiberboard, particle board, paint, adhesive and so forth) on 20th March, 2003, and enforced on the same day.

2. Outlines of JAS revision on the matters of formaldehyde
_ New stipulation of criteria values for lower formaldehyde emission amount
Setting up new criteria values for lower emission level (emission amount, average 0.3mg/L, maximum 0.4mg/L 0.3mg/L　 0.4mg/L)
_ alteration of indication of formaldehyde emission amount
F☆☆☆☆ or the like shall be used.
_ A mandatory indication shall be imposed on the formaldehyde emission. (partly optional)
Plywood (optional for concrete forming and structural use), glued laminated timber (optional for structural use) and laminated veneer lumber (optional for structural use) shall be subjected to the mandatory indication of formaldehyde emission.

_ Revision of testing method for formaldehyde emission amount
Alteration of measurement apparatus for flooring and of others
3.Details of revisions
（1）Additional criteria values and indication symbols

Former standard			Present standard
Indication symbols	Criteria values		Indication symbols	Criteria values
	Average	Maximum		Average	Maximum
			F☆☆☆☆	0.3mg/L	0.4mg/L
Fc0	0.5mg/L	0.7mg/L	F☆☆☆	0.5mg/L	0.7mg/L
Fc1	1.5mg/L	2.1mg/L	F☆☆	1.5mg/L	2.1mg/L
Fc2	5.0mg/L	7.0mg/L	F☆	5.0mg/L	7.0mg/L

Where, concerning glued laminated timber F☆S (average 3.0mg/L) shall be used instead of F☆.

（2）Mandatory indication for graded products
Plywood for general use, natural wood decorative plywood and specially processed decorative plywood, glued laminated timber (for fixture, for decorative fixture and decorative post), laminated veneer lumber and flooring shall be subjected to the mandatory indication.
For structural plywood, concrete forming plywood, structural glued laminated timber, structural laminated veneer lumber, indication of formaldehyde emission amount is optional. Further, for concrete forming plywood, the lower level criteria values (F☆☆☆☆) are not set up.

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