101 UK Brexit Notes

Connemara Programme October 16 2018 pg. 164 Pre-notification for importers from the EU In order to maintain high levels of food safety, the UK would require importers of high-risk food and feed to pre-notify the FSA of their imports from the EU. The FSA is working closely with Defra to establish when this requirement could be satisfactorily introduced. There would be no change on the day the UK leaves the EU to current import controls or requirements for notifications of imports of live animals and animal products for imports direct from the EU. This requirement is not expected to have direct impact at the border or for port health authorities. Pre-notifications would be made electronically, in advance, by those introducing high-risk foods and feed into the UK, and would be managed by the FSA. As noted above, currently no EU FNAO is designated as high risk. Import controls - transit consignments Importers wishing to transit high-risk food and feed through the EU to the UK would need to recognise that the requirements differ depending on whether these are POAO or FNAO. EU food law provides a clear provision for POAO. For this purpose, POAO would need to transit the EU under seal and land in the UK at a location with a Border Inspection Point (BIP) so that UK officials can perform the necessary import controls on these products. However, there is not an equivalent transit provision within EU food law for high-risk FNAO. Therefore, to ensure that the UK’s imported food control regime remains sufficiently robust with no increased risk to public health, high-risk FNAO (as identified by country and by commodity), currently controlled under EU legislation must enter the UK via a Designated Point of Entry (DPE) so that UK officials can perform the necessary import controls on these products. For information about which locations have BIPs please go to the European Commission’s website. For information on locations that have DPEs, please go to the FSA’s website.