Following the end of the Brexit transition period, progressive controls have been introduced on EU plant and plant products imported into Great Britain.
In June 2021, growers saw the introduction of import inspection fees for high-priority plant and plant products, and further changes are expected to be introduced to requirements for EU imports and inspection processes from January 2022.
With significant concern about the impact these changes will have on our grower members, the NFU has been treating this as a top priority, raising concerns at the highest level within Defra and calling for urgent changes to mitigate the impacts on the sector, a well as longer-term changes to the whole system.
Update for members
In August, the NFU hosted a virtual update and Q&A session for members on the subject of EU import inspections for plant and plant products.
Chaired by NFU horticulture and potatoes board member Martin Emmett, the session’s panel included speakers from Defra's plant health team and NFU international trade adviser Emily Roads.
NFU members can watch the webinar back below, and hear about the NFU’s work to represent your concerns, as well as an update from Defra on the future changes to be introduced to EU import processes and inspections. This includes the outlined move to inspections taking place at Border Control Points (BCPs) and Control Points (CPs) from 1 January 2022.
The presentations are also followed by a Q&A session and where to find further information.