Defra Comms - Medium Risk Plants and Produce Clarification 31/01/2024
31 Jan 2024
From today - 31st Jan 2024, if you import a medium-risk plant or plant product from the EU, Switzerland or Liechtenstein to GB, you will need to obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) for your goods before they enter GB. This is alongside the need to pre-notify your goods on IPAFFS (importers may have previously used PEACH, but the PEACH system can no longer be registered for, and will not be accessible from 08 April 2024). Medium-risk goods imported into GB from Ireland will also now require pre-notification and a PC before entry into GB as the initial easements put in place will now come to an end. The controls for Ireland now aligns with the controls for the rest of the EU.
Please note, these controls do not include medium-risk fruit and vegetables. If you are importing a medium-risk fruit or vegetable from the EU, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein to GB you will not need to obtain a PC, nor pre-notify these goods. Further updates on this will be communicated shortly.
For high-risk goods, there are no changes. If you import high-risk goods, such as plants for planting, please keep pre-notifying and obtaining a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) before your goods enter GB. EU goods will still be subject to border checks at Place of Destinations and non-EU goods continue to be checked at Border Control Posts (BCPs)/Control Points (CPs) until 30 April 2024 where checks of high-risk EU goods will move from PoDs to BCPs/CPs.
Low-risk goods imported into GB from the EU will be exempt from controls at the border. Instead, these goods will be subject to enhanced inland monitoring via surveillance at the most appropriate locations and times, and evidence-led visits to premises by plant health inspectors. You will not require a PC for EU low-risk goods. For low-risk goods imported from non-EU countries to GB, you will need to continue obtaining a PC before your goods enter GB. There is, however, no requirement to pre-notify on IPAFFS.
Further risk assessment is ongoing and any changes to BTOM risk categories will be communicated to trade well in advance of any changes to commodity categorisation.
Guidance to help you prepare for the changes:
- EU exporters can view this PC leaflet to understand the process of obtaining a PC
- GB importers can sign up for weekly IPAFFS training
Head to the Plant Health Portal for more BTOM information