BETA Your feedback will help us improve the UK Plant Health Information Portal

High-Priority Plants

High-Priority Plants Rules

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.

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  

 

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. 

 

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.

 

High-Priority Plants List

 

From 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.