New legislation – advance information to companies that import from outside the EU products covered by the plant health legislation or subject to the EU’s intensified controls
The new Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 relating to food safety and plant health shall apply from 14 December 2019. It will introduce changes to the procedures for import and physical checks of products that are covered by the plant health legislation or subject to the EU’s intensified controls.
This advance notice concerns foodstuffs and food contact materials subject to the EU’s intensified controls as well as fresh vegetables, fruits and berries covered by the plant health legislation. In the future, these products can only be imported via specific border control posts (BCP) approved for these product groups. In Finland, the border control posts for these products are planned to be located at Helsinki Airport, Vuosaari Harbour and Vaalimaa. The documentary checks of these consignments will be performed by the competent authorities of the border control post.
The physical checks of the products (identity checks, plant health controls and sampling) shall be performed either at approved border control posts (BCP) or at other control points (CP) approved in advance. Other control point can be either the importer company’s or the forwarder’s warehouse that meets the requirements of the Official Controls Regulation and the implementing acts adopted on the basis of the Regulation. The control point shall also meet the requirements of the EU General Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, and a notification of food premises shall be submitted for the premises.
The company or the forwarder shall apply for the status of other control point (CP) for its warehouse in advance. The control point will be approved in accordance with a procedure to be specified later.
Requirements for a control point
Facilities
- an unloading area covered by a roof
- an inspection room or inspection area with a supply of hot and cold running water and facilities for washing and drying hands (does not apply to inspections subject to the plant health legislation)
- access to toilets supplied with facilities for washing and drying hands
- temperature controlled storage environment according to the requirements set by the goods to be stored
- the inspection room shall be fitted with walls, floors and ceilings that are easy to clean and disinfect, adequate drainage and adequate light
- the inspection area shall be easy to clean, have adequate drainage and adequate light
Equipment
- equipment for the weighing of consignments
- equipment to unload, open and examine consignments
- cleansing and disinfecting equipment and instructions for its use in the facilities or a contract for the use of an external agent for the cleansing and disinfection
- a table that is easy to clean and disinfect
Customs’ samplers will bring with them the rest of the inspection, sealing and sampling equipment referred to in the Regulation.
Where a plant health control indicates that a product batch is non-compliant, it must be possible to keep it separate from other consignments by moving it to a so-called quarantine facility.
Import declaration to the TRACES system
According to the new Official Controls Regulation, a separate electronic import declaration will have to be submitted to the TRACES system for the import of products subject to official controls.
Finnish Customs will provide more information later to traders on applying for the control point status and on the approval procedures as well as on changing over to the TRACES system.
Changes to the import of organic products
Advance information to companies: from 1 January 2021, with the new organic Regulation 848/2018, organic products can be imported from outside the EU only via border control posts approved for these products. A review of the border control posts to be designated for organic products is underway.
More information: yritysneuvonta.lupa-asiakkaat(at)tulli.fi
