From 1 January 2022, new plant health controls on products imported from the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein will be introduced. Building off controls introduced at the start of this year, 'regulated and notifiable' EU produce and cut flowers will be required to pre-notify for plant health purposes from 1 January 2022.
Information on what produce falls in the regulated and notifiable category can be found on the Defra plant health portal.
Changing IT systems
From this date, the IT systems used to facilitate the pre-notification process will also be changing, transitioning from PEACH to IPAFFS.
Defra has advised current users to remain on PEACH until instructed otherwise.
For those who are new to pre-notification, IPAFFS will be ready for registration and pre-notification from 1 January 2022. For more information on these changing customs requirements, visit gov.uk/transition.
Next stage of controls
These controls represent the next stage of plant health controls first introduced in January 2021.
Since then, all high-priority plants and plant products have required pre-notification and to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. These requirements will remain in place.
Phytosanitary certification
The requirement for regulated and notifiable produce to have phytosanitary certification will not come into force until 1 July 2022.
From this date, all plants and plant products categorised as either regulated or regulated and notifiable will require phytosanitary certificates.
Pre-notification requirements for 'regulated' plants and produce will also be changing, with further information available from Defra's EU goods requiring a PC and pre-notification in 2021 and 2022.
For more information: nfuonline.com