An evaluation of the systems for plant health import controls in the UK by the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office has uncovered major deficiencies in the implementation of the EU plant health directive in England and Wales.

The mission, which took place from January 30 to February 3 found action had been taken on three of the seven recommendations made previously.

As such, all importers are now registered, inspections of containerized goods and inspections of grain from countries where Tilletia indica is known to occur are performed.

But the investigation also found a number of shortcomings, including the absence of both a system of pre-notification of arrival of plant health-regulated materials and checks on all regulated materials before customs clearance.

The mission additionally noted: “All importers are required to give advance notice of arrival of regulated articles to customs and to the official body of point of entry, but this is not implemented.

“Each consignment of regulated articles declared is not checked, and is not subject to customs supervision and responsible official body supervision until documentary, identity, and plant health checks are completed.”

In response to the mission’s conclusions, Defra minister Stephen Hunter wrote that it would commit to implementing the recommended changes by March 2007 but its electronic system for pre-notification of arrivals is unlikely to be operational until next July.

He added: “We trust that the Commission and other Member States will recognise that the changes to the EU import regime have been significant for the UK and have required a fundamental shift over the past two or three years from the way we have applied import controls in the past.

“We regret that this has taken rather longer than we would have liked, particularly because of the difficulty in securing funding for necessary IT developments against a background of significant restraint on Government expenditure in the UK. “However, we wish to take this opportunity to confirm that we are fully committed to effective and targeted plant health controls, and are putting in place the necessary arrangements to meet all our obligations under the revised import regime.”

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