From July 1, 2025, phytosanitary requirements and obligations will apply to the export of certain vegetables and fruit products (Medium Risk products) to the UK. From this moment, phytosanitary certificates will be required for these products, for which pre-notification in the DEFRA systems must also take place for some products. To obtain a phytosanitary certificate for these products, you must declare the shipment(s) in e-CertNL.
Products: Medium Risk A and B
This concerns the following products.
| Botanical name | Dutch name |
|---|---|
| Apium graveolens | Celery (bleach, tuber, cut (herb)) |
| Asparagus officinalis | Asparagus (except asparagus covered by soil during production) |
| Eryngium sp. | Thistle (herb) |
| Limnophila sp. | Aquarium plant, marsh plant |
| Manihot esculenta | Cassava (root plant) |
| Momordica sp. | Bitter melon. Genus from the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae) |
| Ocimum sp. | Basil (herb) |
| Spinacia oleracea | Spinach |
| Solanaceae | Eggplant, bell pepper, chili, tomato |
| Zea mays | Corn (as a vegetable, fresh or chilled) |
| Botanical name | Dutch name |
|---|---|
| Cydonia sp. | Quince, quince apple or quince |
| Prunus sp. | Cherry, plum, peach, nectarine, almond, and apricot. |
| Vitis sp. | Grape |
Inspections
Before a phytosanitary certificate for the UK is issued, the shipment must be inspected. This can be done for vegetables and fruits and cut flowers for export to the UK in the following ways:
Shipment Inspection
An inspection service physically inspects your shipment in the regular way. Adjustments may be necessary; the inspection location must meet certain requirements.
Stock Inspection
An inspection service physically inspects the stock at your company. You need a recognized stock register as a company.
Business Control System (BCS)
Authorized phytosanitary control staff from your own company or from linked companies perform the inspection. You need a recognized business control system and authorized control staff as a company.
Good Preparation
To ensure that phytosanitary export inspections to the UK go smoothly, it is important that you prepare in time and well. Do you want to use a recognition scheme? Then start preparing in time. For the business control system, you must have an approved business plan and authorized phytosanitary control staff. More information can be found on the page Training phytosanitary control staff and on the website of Naktuinbouw.
The first basic training is scheduled for June, practical exams start in week 28. The refresher courses start in May and will be completed with an exam. It is important that the student studies the basic training again beforehand. More information can be found at: Phytosanitary control staff (basic training).
Adjustments to ICT Systems
Also check if adjustments to your ICT systems are necessary. For export to the UK, only electronic phytosanitary certificates will be issued for all products where this is possible. Some adjustments to the ICT system may also be necessary. Check the technical information about this and the substantive information. So make sure you are well prepared for Brexit.
In addition to phytosanitary requirements, quality requirements also apply to vegetables and fruits when exporting, which have been in effect since February 1, 2021, and do not change. More information can be found on the website of the KCB.