Changes to Plant health legislation from 30 Jan 2025

The GB Plant Health Service have introduced legislation here that will come into force from 30 January 2025. Risk assessments are a dynamic process, so all commodities remain under continuous review.

Changes to enhance our biosecurity include:

• Regulating a new Quarantine Pest, Heterobasidion irregulare, that attacks a wide range of coniferous trees.
• Adding specific import requirements for an existing Quarantine Pest, Popillia japonica (known as the Japanese beetle).
• Providing requirements for certain imported plants for planting to have been grown on a nursery and subject to inspections prior to export.

Several trade-facilitating changes will also come into force. These include:

• Providing an additional option for the import of certain plants of Capsicum (pepper) species.
• Carrying out technical updates to clarify or correct the legislation.

For further information on these measures, please see a Q&A document for more information.