PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Plants: Imports (21 July 2021)

There are no current plans for additional labelling of plant imports in 2022 for phytosanitary reasons.

Certain high priority plants imported from the EU have been imported with phytosanitary certificates since 1 January 2021, and the remaining categories of regulated plants and plant products imported from the EU will require a phytosanitary certificate from January 2022. This is in line with the arrangements which already apply for such imports from non-EU countries. Unlike plant passports which were required for imports of plants from the EU before the end of the transition period, and were attached by industry, phytosanitary certificates are single documents issued officially and covering whole consignments.

Normal international rules on labelling apply to seed and other propagating material imported into GB for marketing. Where the UK participates in an OECD scheme, seed and forest reproductive material must carry an OECD certificate and labelling, and for agricultural seed also have an ISTA Orange International Certificate. The label must include ‘GB rules and standards’. This will show that seed meets standards for variety identity, variety purity and seed quality equivalent to GB standards.

Standard seed of vegetables and ornamental plant material can be marketed under retained EU labelling requirements.