Plant Passporting Update

Following the UK exit from the European Union, a temporary easement until 30 June 2025 was agreed that allowed draft UK plant passports to be attached in EU member states under certain circumstances. This easement gave industry an additional 4 years to make needed changes to allow the move to UK Plant Passporting.

Defra / APHA have issued the following statement in relation to this;

"The current temporary easement is not supported by legislation. It also weakens the UKPP regime. A key element of the regime is ‘assurance’ that plants meet UK biosecurity requirements. Under the temporary easement, PPs are attached before a GB authorised operator has confirmed that the plants meet UK requirements. Therefore, this temporary easement needs to end.

Industry and government are investigating the introduction of Electronic UK Plant Passports (eUKPP) which would allow for relevant labelling to be attached to plants in EU Member States following the end of the current easement.

An ePlant Passport Task and Finish (ePP T&F) Group has been set up with Defra and industry. The group aims to provide solutions and identify opportunities relating to the implementation of eUKPP in the UK by supporting the plant trade industry to find an innovative solution to eUKPP that can be used throughout GB to move plants commercially."

FPC are seeking clarity on timescales for these innovative solutions and whether they will be delivered in time for the 30 June deadline.