The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has urged all businesses in the agri-food supply chain to make sure they are prepared for the new UK sanitary and phytosanitary import controls.
The new measures, which come into force today (Wednesday, January 31), are among post-Brexit changes to trade rules.
From today, exporters sending good to Britain or via the landbridge to the rest of Europe need to take certain measures in addition to the existing formalities that apply when exporting goods from the EU.
For live animals and animal products and high and medium risk category plant products, exporters must ensure that their UK importer or British-based agent has pre-notified each consignment on the UK’s food and feed SPS import system (IPAFFS ) in advance of transit.
The requirement for an export health certificate will be based on the UK’s new low, medium, and high-risk categorisation.
Agri-food
Minister McConalogue updated a Cabinet meeting yesterday on the supports for Irish businesses preparing for the new requirements.
“It is important that all Irish agri-food exporters recognise that these new UK import requirements represent a significant change in Ireland’s and the EU’s post Brexit trading environment with the British market.
“All Irish agri-food exporters, their UK customers, and their logistics partners must ensure everyone in the supply chain to Britain are aware of who is responsible for meeting each of the new UK requirements,” he said.
The minister said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has been working closely with all stakeholders in agri-food sector over the past two years to support them in preparing these UK changes.
This included detailed training programmes for businesses on export health certification processes across a range of product groups and investment in additional resources to support certification.
Minister McConalogue assured businesses that his department will continue to work with them to address “any issues which may arise over the coming period once these changes are applied”.
From October, the UK is planning to introduce documentary and risk-based identity, along with physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU, including from Ireland.
Additionally, the requirement for Safety and Security declarations for imports into Britain from the EU, including Ireland, will come into force from October 31, 2024.