EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend:

• Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (“the Official Controls Regulation”);

• the Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/809) (“the 2021 Regulations”); and

• the Official Controls (Plant Health) (Frequency of Checks) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/739) (“the 2022 Regulations”).

Regulation 2 amends the definition of “excepted goods” in Annex 6 to the Official Controls Regulation by extending to 31st January 2027, the period during which certain plants, plant products and other objects originating in an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and entering Great Britain through a relevant port are not subject to the requirement for determining the appropriate frequency of import checks in the 2022 Regulations. “Relevant port” is defined in Annex 6.

Regulation 3 amends the 2021 Regulations to change the end date of “the transitional staging period” from 1st July 2025 to 31st January 2027. “The transitional staging period” as defined in paragraph 2 of Annex 6 to the Official Controls Regulation ends on the date appointed by the appropriate authority. “The appropriate authority” is defined in Article 3(2A) and (2B) of the Official Controls Regulation.

Regulation 4 amends the 2022 Regulations to delay, to 31st January 2027, the application of the rules relating to frequency rates of physical and identity checks in respect of certain plants, plant products and other objects that originate in an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, entering Great Britain through a relevant port.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.