101 UK Brexit Notes

Connemara Programme October 16 2018 pg. 33 Imports from EU countries to the UK To deliver a smooth transition when we leave the EU, in a ‘no deal’ scenario the Government has decided that the majority of plants and plant products are low-risk and should continue to enter the UK from the EU freely, as they do now. There would be some exceptions: Plants and plant products managed under the EU plant passport regime: Plants and plant products currently managed under the EU plant passport regime would be subject to UK import controls to replace the assurance and traceability offered by the EU plant passport regime, maintaining biosecurity whilst minimising the impact on businesses. Consignments of these plants and plant products entering the UK would require a PC issued in the country of export (or re-export), and the importer or the importer’s agent would need to inform the relevant plant health authority in the UK before the consignment arrived. Further details of how t o inform the relevant plant health authority are available on GOV.UK . The importer or agent would also need to provide scanned copies of the PC and relevant documents in advance to the relevant UK plant health authority, and supply the original copy of the PC once the consignment has arrived. Consignments of plants and plant products from EU countries would not be stopped at the border. The relevant UK plant health authority would carry out documentary and identity checks remotely. These checks would be charged for by the plant health authority. As currently, plant health inspectors would continue to carry out follow-up inspections inland on a risk-targeted basis. The government does not charge for such inspections. Plants and plant products originating outside the EU and arriving in the UK via the EU: Plants and plant products that come from non-EU countries, but travel to the UK via the EU without an EU member state carrying out plant health checks, would be treated as non-EU imports and subject to third country controls on arrival in the UK. Further details on current third country controls a re available on GOV.UK. Detail on alternative arrangements for points of entry that do not have capacity to carry out third country controls at the border will be made available in due course. Plants and plant products moving within the UK In the unlikely event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, there would be a new UK plant passport regime. Plants and plant products currently covered by the EU plant passport regime when moved within the UK would be managed by the new UK regime. Businesses wishing to move these plants and plant products within the UK would need to be authorised by the relevant UK plant health authority to issue UK plant passports. They would need to issue plant passports when moving those plants and plant products within the UK. Wood Packaging Material As indicated in th e EU’s technical notice on this topic , in the unlikely event of the UK leaving the EU in March 2019 without a deal, all WPM moving between the UK and the EU would need to be ISPM15 compliant (treated and marked). These products may be subject to official checks either upon entry to the EU or after entry. Defra, the Forestry Commission and other relevant UK plant health authorities are working with the WPM sector who understand what actions they will need to take to manage this new requirement in a no deal scenario.