Certain plants and plant products need a phytosanitary certificate to prove that they have been officially inspected, are free from dangerous pests and diseases, and meet the requirements to enter the UK or EU. Phytosanitary (plant health) certificates are issued by the exporting country’s plant health authority, which may also require samples for laboratory testing or for growing season inspections.
Plant passport
Once imported plants and plant products have entered the EU, phytosanitary certificates can be replaced by a plant passport, so long as they are listed in Annex XIII and XIV of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. This includes objects such as fuel wood. A similar plant passport is used to move plants and certain regulated wood within Great Britain, to the Isle of Man, or to the Channel Islands. These include all plants for planting; some seeds; seed potatoes; wood and wood products; and isolated bark.
UK plant passports can be self-issued, subject to authorisation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) or the Forestry Commission, depending on the goods.
Customs checks
When soft commodities such as agricultural products are imported, customs agents check the commercial seal, and will sometimes perform a physical inspection as part of the clearance process. They also require sight of official documents, such as an aflatoxin certificate in the case of certain nuts and dried fruit. Customs requirements for phytosanitary certification tend to depend on the type of material being moved, where it comes from, and perceptions of risk.
Country-specific formats for certificates are common. Certificates often need to be written in a certain language, using particular units of measurement. Countries also have their own rules on how long a certificate remains valid before it expires. These details need to be verified before arranging for the import or export of plants or plant-based products. Failure to do so risks delays or fines.
EU exemptions
Absent the risk of spreading harmful organisms, no phytosanitary certificate is needed for imports into the EU of pineapple, banana, coconut, durian and dates. This exemption also applies to plants, plant products or other objects grown, produced, or used in the frontier zone between the EU and the non-EU country; and plants, plant products and other objects in transit through EU territory.
The UK exempts pineapple, bananas, coconut, durian, grain and plant products – such as fruit and vegetables – ‘that have been processed and packaged to the point that they no longer pose a biosecurity risk’. Exemptions also applies to composite products such as nut and seed butters containing processed fruit or vegetables.
GB re-export certificate
Re-export (otherwise known as re-forwarding) is when goods are imported into a country and then exported to another country. Plant health inspectors will only issue a re-forwarding certificate if they are confident that the goods meet the destination country’s import requirements. This may involve a further inspection if stipulated by the destination country’s rules, or in cases where the goods have been exposed to a risk of infestation or contamination after being imported. It is best to check with the destination country’s plant health authority before importing goods to Great Britain that are meant to be re-exported, to ensure compliance.
The original phytosanitary certificate, or certified copies, should accompany the goods being re-exported. Applications for a re-forwarding certificate can be made using the plant health export service for England and Wales, SASA in Scotland, or plant and tree health in Northern Ireland.
Letters of authorisation, and bans
A letter of authorisation is needed for plants, plant products or other objects for trials or scientific and educational purposes, or for work on varietal selections, that are entering the EU and Great Britain. Some high risk plants, plant products and commodities are either provisionally or permanently prohibited for import due to an inherent pest and disease risk.
