This European Standard describes a test procedure for identification of the long-term resistance of a rot retardant finish against the attack of microorganisms in the soil. It allows distinction to be made between rot retardant finishes with no long-term resistance, with regular long-term resistance and with increased long-term resistance, in order to assess the suitability for use in the tropics. As the soil burial test is a biological process and the test soil not accurately defined, this European Standard only covers the comparison of finished and unfinished specimens.