EU goods requiring a PC and pre-notification in 2021 and 2022

Plant health controls on plants and plant products imported from the EU, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, have been introduced in stages from 1 January 2021.

Since 1 January 2021, only high-priority plants and plant products have required pre-notification and a phytosanitary certificate (PC) when being imported from the EU, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

Since 1 January 2022 notifiable produce and cut flowers from the EU (excluding Ireland), Liechtenstein and Switzerland, require pre-notification but not a PC.

The Government has announced that the remaining import controls on EU goods, including plants and plant products, will no longer be introduced in July of this year. Instead, traders will continue to move their goods from the EU to GB as they do now. This decision does not affect existing controls that were introduced in January 2021 and January 2022. Further information on this can be found here.

This guidance provides information on which plants, plant products and other regulated objects from the EU (excluding Ireland), Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, which will require a PC and pre-notification for import to GB in 2021 and 2022. 

High-priority plants and plant products from the EU must have: 

a phytosanitary certificate (PC) 
a pre-notification submitted by the importer in England, Scotland or Wales for documentary and identity checks

a physical inspection at a Place of Destination (PoD).

Regulated and notifiable plants and plant products from the EU must have:

been notified using the relevant IT system, so that the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) or Forestry Commission (FC) know that you’re importing regulated and notifiable plants and plant products.*

Remaining import controls to be set out in the Target Operating Model:

The Government has announced that the remaining import controls on EU goods, including plants and plant products, will no longer be introduced in July of this year. Instead, traders will continue to move their goods from the EU to GB as they do now. This decision does not affect existing controls that were introduced in January 2021 and January 2022.
Further information on this can be found here.

Watch our new imports animation to help explain how to import plants and plant products from 1 January 2022:

Which IT System?

If you are currently using PEACH to pre-notify imports of plants and plant products, you should continue using that system from 1 Jan 2022. You will be directed to transfer from PEACH to the IPAFFS service during 2022.

If you are new to making pre-notifications and not currently registered on PEACH, you should register for and use IPAFFS to complete your pre-notifications of ‘regulated and notifiable’ goods from 1 Jan 2022.

Traders who are currently using IPAFFS as part of our early adopter phase will continue to use IPAFFS for existing goods in scope plus those requiring pre-notification from 1 Jan 2022.

From 23 December 2021, IPAFFS will accept notifications of EU goods newly requiring pre-notification from 1 Jan 2022.

Whether notifying through PEACH or IPAFFS, the notification journey is the same as that which applies now to imports of regulated plants and plant products from non-EU countries and high-priority plants from the EU. There is no simplified notification route as there is temporarily for animal products.

More information can be found on the IT Systems page.

How will non-EU goods that pass through the EU be treated when imported to GB?

Plants and plant products from non-EU countries, which enter into customs ‘free circulation’ in the EU before travelling on to GB, will be treated by GB as if they are an EU import for plant health purposes.

Plants and plant products imported from non-EU countries to GB via the EU (or any other third country) under transit arrangements such as the Common Transit Convention (CTC), will be treated as if they are direct imports from the third country of origin, and will require a phytosanitary certificate and pre-notification as necessary.

The origin of the goods declared on PEACH or IPAFFS should follow the same logic.

Check to see what the importing requirements are for the regulated product that you are importing.

From 1 January 2021

High Priority goods all require pre-notification and to be accompanied by a PC:

List of High-Priority Plants since 1 January 2021
Category	Legal requirement	Common name(s)
Machinery and vehicles	Machinery and vehicles which have been operated for agricultural or forestry purposes	Agricultural machinery and vehicles
Plants for planting	Plants for planting, other than seeds	All plants for planting
Potatoes	Tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. intended for planting	Seed potatoes
Potatoes	Tubers of Solanum tuberosum L.	Ware potatoes
Seed intended for sowing	Seeds of Castanea	Chestnut seed
Seed intended for sowing	Seeds of Capsicum spp. L., Solanum lycopersicum L.,	Chilli and tomato seed
Seed intended for sowing	Seeds of Solanum tuberosum L.	Potato seed
Seed intended for sowing	Seed of Helianthus annuus L., Medicago sativa L., Allium cepa L., Allium porrum L., Phaseolus cocineus., Phaseolus vulgaris L.	Sunflower seed; Alfalfa seed; Onion seed, Leek seed; Runner bean seed; French bean seed
Seed intended for sowing	Vegetable seeds of Pisum sativum L. and Vicia faba L.	Green pea seed; broad bean seed
Seed intended for sowing	Seeds of oil and fibre plants of Brassica napus L. Brassica rapa L., Sinapis alba L.	Rapeseed; White mustard seed
Seed intended for sowing	Seeds of oil and fibre plants of Glycine max (L.) Merrill and Linum usitatissimum L.	Soybean seed; flax seed or linseed
Plant parts	Cut trees/branches of Conifers (Pinales) over 3m	Conifer cut trees/branches
Bark	Isolated bark of Castanea	Chestnut bark
Bark	Isolated bark of Conifers (Pinales)	Conifer bark
Bark	Isolated bark of Fraxinus L., Juglans ailantifolia Carr., Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Ulmus davidiana Planch. and Pterocarya rhoifolia	Bark of ash, Japanese and Manchurian walnut, David elm and Japanese wingnut.
Wood	Wood of Platanus L., including wood which has not kept its natural round surface	Plane wood
Wood	Wood of Castanea Mill., excluding wood which is bark-free	Chestnut wood, aside from bark free chestnut wood
Wood	Wood of Conifers (Pinales), excluding wood which is bark-free	Conifer wood, aside from bark free conifer wood
Wood	Wood of Conifers (Pinales), including wood which has not kept its natural round surface	Conifer wood
Wood	Wood of Prunus L. including wood which has not kept its natural round surface with the exception of Prunus laurocerasus L.	Wood of Plum, Peach, Nectarine, Apricot etc. Does not include wood of English laurel
Wood	Wood of Acer L., Aesculus L., Alnus L., Betula L., Carpinus L., Cercidiphyllum Siebold & Zucc., Corylus L., Fagus L., Fraxinus L., Koelreuteria Medikus., Platanus L., Populus L., Salix L., Tilia L. and Ulmus L., including wood which has not kept its natural round surface	Wood of Maple; Horse Chestnut; Alder; Birch; Hornbeam; Katsura; Hazel; Beech; Ash; Golden-rain; Plane; Poplar; Willow; Lime; Elm
Wood	Wood of Fraxinus L., Juglans ailantifolia Carr., Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Ulmus davidiana Planch. and Pterocarya rhoifolia	Wood of ash, Japanese and Manchurian walnut, David elm and Japanese wingnut.

From 1 January 2022

In addition to the requirements for high-priority plants, plant products and other objects, which remain in place, you must also, since 1 January pre-notify for the following goods. A phytosanitary certificate is not required for these goods currently.

For reference, this guidance is divided into different commodity groups:

Produce:

Common name	Legislative term	When do I need to pre-notify?	When do I need a PC?
All root and tubercle vegetables, such as: Chicory roots Horseradish Beetroot Radish Swede Marioc Carrot Salisfy Veg Ginger Sweet Potatoes Sugar beet Yams Taro Yautia Arrowroot Tumeric	Root and tubercle vegetables	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model
Leafy Vegetables: Celery/Celeriac Basil Eryngium Limnophila	Leafy vegetables of Apium graveolens L. Ocimum L. Eryngium and Limnophila	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model
Leaves of: Manihot	Manihot esculenta	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model
Bitter Melon Solanaceous fruits (all fruit in the tomato family) such as: Tomatoes Aubergine Peppers Chillies	Momordica L. and Solanaceae Juss	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model
Papaya Quince Strawberry Apple Avocado Pears Prunus fruits such as: Cherry Plum Peach Apricot Ribes fruit such as: Gooseberry Blackcurrant Redcurrant Rubus fruit such as: Raspberry Blackberry Jambolan (Rose apple) Cranberry Blueberry Grapes	Carica papaya L., Cydonia Mill., Fragaria L., Malus Mill.., Persea americana Mill., Prunus L., Pyrus L., Ribes L., Rubus L., Syzygium Gaertn., Vaccinium L. and Vitis L	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model

Cut Flowers of:

Common name	Legislative term	When do I need to pre-notify?	When do I need a PC?
Chrysanthemum Carnation Babys Breath Date Palm Aarons Rod/Golden Rod Orchids	Dendranthema (DC.) Des Moul., Dianthus L., Gypsophila L., Phoenix spp. L, Solidago L and Orchidaceae	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model

Parts of plants, other than fruits and seeds of:

Parts of plants for decoration or culinary purposes and vegetables (excluding fruits and seeds).

Common name	Legislative term	When do I need to pre-notify?	When do I need to a PC?
Tomato Aubergine Maize Conifer Sweet Chestnut Chrysanthemum Carnation Babys Breath Geranium Date Palm Poplar/Aspen Oak Aarons Rod/Golden Rod Birch	Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanum melongena L., Zea Mays, Conifer (Pinales), Betula L. Castanea Mill., Cryptocoryne sp, Hygrophila sp. Vallisneria, Dendranthema (DC.) Des Moul., Dianthus L., Gypsophila L., Pelargonium l’Herit. ex Ait, Phoenix spp. L, Populus L., Quercus L., Solidago and Betula L.	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model
Cryptocoryne Hygrophila Vallisneria	Cryptocoryne Hygrophila Vallisneria	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model

Seeds for planting of:

Common name	Legislative term	When do I need to pre-notify?	When do I need a PC?
Maize Prunus seeds such as: Cherry Plum Peach Apricot Rubus seed such as: Raspberry Blackberry	Zea Mays, Prunus and Rubus	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model

Isolated bark, of:

Common name	Legislative term	When do I need to pre-notify?	When do I need a PC?
Sugar maple Ash Poplar Oak Japanese Elm	Acer saccharum Marsh, Fraxinus L., Populus L., Quercus L. other than Quercus suber L and Ulmus davidiana	Now	TBC in the Target Operating Model