The UK Government has released the self-certification form for companies to seek approval as Authorised Traders for the purposes of the three month easement from export health certificates (EHCs) on animal origin products being moved from GB to NI after 1 January.

Companies moving products of animal origin from GB to NI will not require official certification, such as export health certificates, phytosanitary certificates or marketing standards certification. A trusted supplier is any business independently moving its goods from GB to NI, for sale there.

Defra and DAERA are compiling a list of authorised traders benefiting from the 3-month grace period. Once identified, the companies will be added onto Defra’s authorised traders list to be sent to the European Commission.

The following conditions will be attached to these arrangements:

• The goods are packaged for end consumers and they bear a label reading “These products from the United Kingdom may not be marketed outside Northern Ireland”
• They are destined solely for sale to end consumers in supermarkets located in Northern Ireland, and they cannot be sold to other operators of the food chain
• They are accompanied by a simplified official certificate globally stating the products meet all the import requirements of EU legislation
• They enter Northern Ireland through a designated point of entry, where they are submitted to a systematic documentary check and to a risk-based identity check on a selection of items in the means of transport
• They are monitored through a channelling procedure applicable from the designated point of entry to the destination supermarket in NI

The form should be emailed to nisupermarketandsupplierlist@defra.gov.uk by 5pm on 28 December 2020. If the self-certification is successful you will be contacted by reply email by Defra.