New Timetable for Controls on Importing Animal Products from the European Union into Great Britain

    15 Sep 2021   

New Timetable for Controls on Importing Animal Products from the European Union into Great Britain

New controls and requirements delayed to January 2022. 

Following the Government announcement today, we want to share some further information on what this might mean for your businesses.

New controls and requirements due to be introduced from 1 October 2021 and 1 January 2022 have now been delayed to 1 January 2022 and 1 July 2022.

Businesses no longer need to pre-notify or acquire a certified Export Health Certificate (EHC) from 1 October 2021. This means you can continue to import animal product consignments from the European Union as you do today until 31 December 2021.

From 1 January 2022, importers (or a representative acting on their behalf) will be required to pre-notify authorities via IPAFFS that their consignment will be entering Great Britain.

From 1 July 2022, animal products will need to continue to pre-notify their arrival via IPAFFS. Additionally, these consignments must be accompanied by a certified Export Health Certificate and enter via a point of entry with a Border Control Post (BCP) that has been designated to receive these goods. The consignment will be subject to documentary, ID, and physical checks. 

These delays do not impact any current arrangements already in place i.e. products under safeguard measures.

At this stage we encourage businesses to start thinking about the appropriate and relevant actions they will need to take to be ready for 1 January 2022. 

We will be in touch shortly with further information about the new requirements and controls being introduced from 1 January 2022. If you haven’t registered for IPAFFS do so now at  gov.uk

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email us at traders@defra.gov.uk

Trader Readiness Team

Animal and Animal Imports (EU to GB)

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Questions and Answers

• When will I need an Export Health Certificate?

Animal products being imported from the European Union into Great Britain will not require a certified Export Health Certificate to accompany the consignment until 1 July 2022.

Further information about requirements from July 2022 can be found on gov.uk

• Where can I view the Export Health Certificates?

EHCs are issued by the competent authority in the exporting country, based on the requirements outlined in the model Export Health Certificates. The EHC is issued to the exporter based in the European Union (EU), who then provides the importer with an electronic copy to upload onto the notification in IPAFFS before the consignment arrives into Great Britain.

For commodity-specific advice, please refer to the Import Information Notes

• From 1 July 2022, will my animal products need to enter via a point of entry with a Border Control Post?

Yes, from July 2022 your animal products consignment will need to enter Great Britain via Border Control Post that is designated to receive your type of goods.

• Does the delay apply to animal by-products (ABP) as well as animal products for human consumption?

Yes, products of animal origin (POAO) for human consumption and ABP not for human consumption are included in these new arrangements. Both POAO and ABP consignments will require pre-notification from January 2022 and an EHC from 1 July 2022.

From July 2022, consignments will be subject to documentary, ID and Physical Checks.

Further information about requirements from January and July 2022 can be found on gov.uk

• How does the delay impact Prohibited and Restricted (P&R) goods?

Businesses can continue to import P&R goods from the EU into Great Britain until 31 December 2021. Further information can be found on gov.uk

• How and where will I need to pre-notify my goods from 1 January 2022?

IPAFFS is the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) and is the system used to notify the arrival of imports of live animals, animal products and high-risk food

and feed not of animal origin.

It is the responsibility of the GB importer (or a representative acting on their behalf) to register for IPAFFS to pre-notify the relevant authority of the goods’ arrival. If an EHC is required for the commodity, the EU exporter should provide the GB importer with an electronic copy of the EHC and the GB importer must upload this on to the notification in IPAFFS.

You can watch the video on how to register for IPAFFS and how to pre-notify.

You can register for IPAFFS on gov.uk

• How do these delays impact my goods that are transiting through Great Britain?

Consignments of EU origin and/or third country that have been cleared for free circulation in the EU can continue to transit through Great Britain as they do today.

From 1 January 2022, animal products transiting through Great Britain will need to be pre-notified via IPAFFS before they enter Great Britain. When these goods leave Great Britain, you will also need to notify authorities that the goods are leaving the country.

Additionally, from 1 July 2022, EU origin consignments transiting through Great Britain will require a certified EHC and must enter and exit through a point of entry with an appropriately designated Border Control Post. 

Further information on transits is available on gov.uk

• My composite product is exempt from certification, will I need to pre-notify its arrival into Great Britain?

No, if your product meets the requirements for exemption from Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls you do not need to pre-notify authorities of its arrival.

Further information is available on gov.uk

• Does the delay remove any controls from products under safeguard measures?

No, products being imported under safeguard measures must continue to follow existing requirements and controls.

Import requirements are already in place for a small number of POAO subject to safeguard measures.

Emergency safeguard action can be taken at very short notice to prohibit or restrict the importation of certain products from certain countries following an outbreak of disease or a

public health issue (such as avian or swine flu). Information on the latest updates concerning disease outbreaks which may affect imports into the UK can be found on gov.uk

POAO subject to safeguard measures are required to be pre-notified in advance of arrival using IPAFFS and all goods must be accompanied by an Export Health Certificate.

The GB importer will also need to supply the EU exporter/ Certifying Officer (usually an Official Veterinarian) with the unique notification number (UNN) that is produced when the importer notifies the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) about the import.

The exporter must add the UNN to the Export Health Certificate. If the safeguard measure is in place due to a new or emerging disease outbreak, and the commodity code is not available in IPAFFS, there may be other steps traders need to take to pre-notify.

Further information can be found at gov.uk

• Does this impact on the introduction of the new EHCs for goods exported to the EU or moved to NI from Great Britain as part of the Animal Health Regulation?

No, Animal Health Regulations EHCs apply to goods being exported from GB to the EU or goods moving from GB to NI only.

The changes in this communication relate to goods being imported from the EU into Great Britain only.