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Frequency of plant health import inspections across GB

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Frequency of Plant Health Import Inspections Across GB 

These frequencies apply to certain regulated goods imported into Great Britain. This GB focused risk-based import inspection regime aims to ensure that impacts from plant health checks are kept at a level appropriate to the degree of risk posed by different categories of commodities and that Great Britain’s phytosanitary regime remains appropriate to address the biosecurity risks which GB faces.  

The frequencies are detailed in Table 1.  

Table 1: Frequencies of Checks applicable for goods specified in Part A of Annex 11 of the retained Phytosanitary Conditions Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. 

Category and description of plant, plant product or other object 

Country of origin 

Frequency of Physical & Identity check 

Bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers (other than tubers of potatoes), onions, shallots, garlic, leeks and other alliaceous vegetables, dormant, not in substrate 

All genera intended for planting, other than commercial flower production, and not intended for final users(1) 

Any third country 

100% 

All genera intended for planting, and intended for commercial flower production, or for final users 

Any third country 

10% 

Cuttings, seedlings intended for planting, not specified or included anywhere else in this table 

All genera 

Any third country 

100% 

Plants for planting 

Woody plants(2) (other than specified or included elsewhere in this table), intended for planting and intended for final users(1). All genera 

Any third country 

100% 

Non-woody plants(3) (other than specified or included elsewhere in this table), intended for planting. All genera 

Any third country 

30% 

Indoor plants(4). All genera 

Any third country 

5% 

Other plants (other than specified or included elsewhere in this table), intended for planting. All genera 

Any third country 

100% 

Cut flowers 

Dendranthema (DC.) Des Moul. (Chrysanthemum L.) 

Columbia or Ecuador 

50% 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Columbia, Ecuador, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Eryngium Tournier ex Linnaeus. 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

10% 

Lisianthus L. 

Any third country 

10% 

Rosa L. 

Colombia, Ecuador 

3% 

Canada, India, Mexico or the USA 

50% 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland or the USA 

5% 

Solidago L. 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

10% 

Other genera not specified or included elsewhere in this table 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Branches with foliage, parts of Conifers (other than bark or cut Christmas trees) 

All genera 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Fruit, vegetables, leaves 

Momordica L. 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

50% 

Ocimum L. 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

50% 

Solanaceae Juss. (other than Solanum tuberosum L. Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena L. and Capsicum sp.) 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

50% 

Solanum lycopersicum 

Morocco 

5% 

Canary Islands  

25% 

Any third country other than the Canary Islands, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein, Morocco or Switzerland 

100% 

Solanum melongena L. 

Turkey 

30% 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or Turkey 

50% 

Capsicum 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

100% 

Zea mays 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

100% 

Ipomoea batatas 

Any third country other than Cameroon, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Cameroon 

100% 

Persea americana 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Vitis 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Malus 

European third countries(6) 

15% 

Argentina 

35% 

Chile 

5% 

New Zealand 

10% 

South Africa 

15% 

Any third country other than Argentina, Chile, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland or European Third countries(6) 

100% 

Pyrus 

Argentina 

25% 

Chile 

15% 

South Africa 

10% 

Any third country other than Argentina, Chile, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein, South Africa or Switzerland 

100% 

Fragaria 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Rubus 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Vaccinium 

European third countries(6) 

50% 

Argentina 

25% 

Chile 

10% 

Peru 

10% 

Any third country other than Argentina, Chile, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein, Peru, Switzerland or European Third Countries(6) 

100% 

Zingiber officinale 

Any third country other than Cameroon, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Cameroon 

100% 

Asparagus officinalis 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

100% 

Other genera or species of fruit or vegetables not specified or included elsewhere in this table 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Other leaves not specified or included elsewhere in this table 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Seeds (for sowing), tissue cultures 

All genera, for trials or testing(5) 

Any third country 

10% 

Brassicaceae (other than for trials or testing) 

Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand or Uruguay 

100% 

Any third country other than Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand or Uruguay 

5% 

Capsicum spp. L. (other than for trials or testing) 

Any third country 

100% 

Poaceae (other than for trials or testing) 

Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand or Uruguay 

100% 

Any third country other than Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand or Uruguay 

5% 

Secale L. (other than for trials or testing) 

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

100% 

Any third country other than Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

5% 

Solanum lycopersicum L. (other than for trials or testing) 

Any third country 

100% 

Solanum tuberosum L. (True seed) (other than for trials or testing) 

Any third country 

100% 

Trifolium spp. (other than for trials or testing) 

Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand or Uruguay 

100% 

Any third country other than Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand or Uruguay 

5% 

Triticum L. (other than for trials or testing) 

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

100% 

Any third country other than Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

5% 

X TriticosecaleWittm. ex A. Camus (other than for trials or testing) 

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

100% 

Any third country other than Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

5% 

Other genera or species not specified or included elsewhere in this table 

Any third country 

5% 

Grain (other than seeds for sowing) 

Secale L. 

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

100% 

Triticum L. 

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

100% 

X TriticosecaleWittm. ex A. Camus 

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa or the USA 

100% 

Tubers of potatoes 

Solanum tuberosum L. (seed potatoes) 

Any third country 

100% 

Solanum tuberosum L. (ware potatoes) 

Egypt, Poland, Portugal or Romania 

50% 

Spain 

100% 

Any third country other than Egypt, Poland, Portugal, Romania or Spain 

3% 

Cut Christmas trees (less than 3 metres in height) 

All genera 

Any EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

3% 

Any third country other than an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland 

5% 

Machinery or vehicles which have been operated for agricultural or forestry purposes 

 

Any third country 

5% 

(1) “Intended for final users” means intended, by evidence from the packaging, labelling or by other means, for direct supply to final users. 

(2)“Woody plants” means plants which have a woody or partly woody stem, and includes all trees, forest reproductive material (other than seed), shrubs and palms, and those vines and perennial herbs with woody or partly woody stems; and for this purpose, “perennial herbs” means herbs for which the average life exceeds two years. 

(3) “Non-woody plants” means plants which are not woody plants. 

(4)“Indoor plants” means plants which appear from their packaging, labelling or by other means to be intended for direct supply to final users for indoor use or use in aquaria. 

(5) excludes seeds from EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerlandother than seeds of:  

Allium cepa L.; Allium porrum L.; Castanea Mill.; Capsicum spp. L.; Helianthus annuus L.; Medicago sativa L.; Phaseolus cocineus.; Phaseolus vulgaris L.; Solanum lycopersicum L.; Solanum tuberosum L. (True potato seed); Pisum sativum L.; Vicia faba L.; Brassica napus L.; Brassica rapa L.; Sinapis alba L.; Glycine max (L.) Merrill; Linumusitatissimum L. 

(6) European Countries = includes Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canary Islands, the Faeroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Russia (only the following parts: Central Federal District (Tsentralnyfederalny okrug), Federal District (Severo-Zapadnyfederalny okrug), Southern Federal District (Yuzhnyfederalny okrug), North Caucasian Federal District (Severo-Kavkazskyfederalny okrug) and Volga Federal District (Privolzhskyfederalny okrug), San Marino, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine).