A couple of important BTOM changes have been shared with members this week:
Defra Fruit & Vegetables from the EU - Easement of Import Checks Update:
On Friday (13 September), the government has extended the easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imported from the EU from January 2025 to 1 July 2025. Such products will not be subject to import checks at the GB border or charged the associated fees until this date.
Defra has also changed the risk categorisation of certain plants and plant products, including deregulation of certain products, following further scientific review of commodities across all plant and plant product risk categories. Seven commodity groups (including apples and pears) will be recategorised from medium risk to low risk, allowing these goods to move freely into GB from the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. These changes will come into force on 30 January 2025.
Please see link here.
Defra Organics: Extension of Derogation on Requirement of COIs for EU/EEA/Switzerland:
The derogation on the requirement for Certificates of Inspection for organic goods entering GB from the EU, EEA and Switzerland will be extended from 1 February 2025 to 1 February 2027.
This means there will be no change to the current situation. Imports from EU, EEA and Switzerland will continue under current arrangements. Imports from other countries and customs territories are unaffected by this change and will continue to require COI checks as they do now, under the current system. Other checks on organic goods, that are not organic specific, are unaffected.
The guidance for importing organic food to the UK has been updated here to reflect the change of dates.