DEFRA Legislation for Spring 2024 - Reminder

10 May 2024

The GB Plant Health Service have introduced legislation here that has the below changes. Risk assessments are a dynamic process, so all commodities remain under continuous review.

From 31 May 2024, certain pest or trade-facilitating legislative changes will come into force. The changes include:

• Regulating new Quarantine Pests, including import requirements for certain plants, wood and woodchips from the USA and Canada known to be hosts of two Chrysobothris beetle species that attack a wide range of deciduous trees.
• Providing specific import requirements for the introduction of spruce Christmas trees from Norway, for short-term display only, not intended for the market.
• Expanding a derogation on certain bonsai trees, imported from Japan, to include the species Pinus parviflora.

From 9 November 2024, the remaining changes will come into force. This includes:

• Listing certain pests, based on preliminary assessments, as provisional quarantine pests.
• Regulating the seed of Solanum sisymbriifolium, known as sticky nightshade, as a known host of the RNQP Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd). In addition, seed of all Solanum species will require a Phytosanitary Certificate and checks will increase from 1% to 5% (unless already required at higher levels).

Please see a Q&A document below for more information.

PH051 laid QA Final

If you have any comments or questions, email planthealth@defra.gov.uk.