New legislation from December 14 will require all plants to have a plant passport to ensure traceability of their origin and that they are pest and disease free.
Currently, plants coming into the UK from outside the EU require health certificates, but plants originating within the EU do not.
The plant passport, which has a standardised format, is part of new EU-wide Smarter Rules for Safer Foods (SRSF) regulations. In the event that the UK exits the EU with a deal, EU law will continue to apply during the transition period.
As from December 14:
> Plants traded for planting will require a plant passport for their movement within the EU, including movement within the UK
> Records of plant passports issued and received need to be kept for three years
> Those trading plants via distance-selling contracts, e.g. online, over the telephone, etc., will be required to pass plant passports down to the final end user, e.g. domestic gardeners purchasing for personal use
> Plant passports can be issued by operators who have been inspected by and authorised to issue passports by the Competent Authority.
The Competent Authority in England and Wales is the Animal and Plant Health Agency; in Scotland, it’s the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture; and in Northern Ireland, it is the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
The Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association is awaiting advice from Defra about ‘the exact nature of the requirements in relation to aquarium and pond plants’.
