News release | 14-01-2026 | 08:00
From July 6, 2026, phytosanitary certificates for imports must include a complete annotation with specific requirements for regulated non-quarantine pests (RNQPs). This is an addition to the existing obligation for EU quarantine organisms, clarifying which RNQP requirements have been met by the exporting country. Import shipments with (partially) missing or incorrect annotations will be recorded by the inspection service.
The new obligation applies to plants intended for planting
RNQP organisms are only regulated for ‘plants intended for planting’. Therefore, the annotation obligation only applies to plant products in that category and will apply to all third countries. The new annotations are listed in EU Regulation 2025/2249.
Points of attention for exporters in third countries
The wording of the annotation for RNQPs is similar to that of Q organisms. Some products require multiple annotations.
RNQPs are linked to a plant species, product category, and intended use. Different requirements may apply for the same plant species. For example, seeds of a certain plant species intended for ornamental use may have different requirements than those intended for use as an oil crop or fiber crop. For specific examples, see: Minimum wording of annotations for Annex V.
For your information: just like with Q organisms, a ‘Checklist for RNQP annotations’ will also be introduced in due course.
Compliance control
From July 6, 2026, the inspection service will check during document control whether the annotation for both Q organisms and RNQPs is correctly and fully included on the certificate. If annotations are incorrect or (partially) missing, the shipment will be recorded. The shipment can be released after presenting a correct replacement certificate and if no regulated organisms are found in the shipment.