G/SPS/N/GBR/30/Add.2  
31 August 2023  
(23-5855) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, received on 30 August 2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United Kingdom . 
 
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United Kingdom Border Target Operating Model  
In April 2023, the United Kingdom notified the WTO SPS Committee of the publication of the draft 
'Border Target Operating Model'  (BTOM) [G/SPS/N/GBR/30]. This addendum notifies Members that 
the final version of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) has now been published, setting out 
the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls at the UK's borders. The measures contained in the TOM 
will apply to imports of live animals, germinal products, animal products, plants and plant products.  
The Final Target Opera ting Model ( The Border Target Operating Model: August 2023 - GOV.UK 
(www.gov.uk))  
The United Kingdom has considered th e comments received on the draft TOM, including those relating 
to implementation, existing and emerging biosecurity and security threats. The timeline published in 
the draft BTOM has been slightly adjusted to give businesses and their supply -chains more ti me to 
prepare. We will implement the Border Target Operating Model from January 2024 onwards, 
beginning with the introduction of health certification on relevant EU goods. Changes to the process 
for importing goods into Great Britain from non -EU trading pa rtners will now take place from 30 April 
2024.  
We have also sought to respond to stakeholder feedback to improve the wider model and provide 
further detail on its implementation. The BTOM now contains additional information or clarification on 
the followin g areas:  
• Risk categorisation:  Further detail of the risk categorisation of specific commodities can be 
found on page 36 for  Risk Categories for Live Animals, Products of Animal Origin and Animal 
By-Products  and page 47 for Plants and Plant Products ; 
• We have now also published the non-EU (Rest of the World) risk categorisation which is 
available on https: //www.gov.uk/government/publications/risk -categories -for-animal -and-
animal -product -imports -from-non-eu-countries -to-great-britain  for animal and animal 
products and https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/trade/imports/imports -from/tom -risk-
categories -from-non-eu-countries  for plant and plant products ; 
• Groupage : Furthe r information on support for importers using groupage models can be found 
on page 57 ; 
• Trusted Trader:  Further detail on the new trusted trader pilots, the timeline for these, and 
details on applying for them can be found for the E uropean Union on page 42 f or the Trusted 
Trader approach for animal products, the Authorised Operator Status for Plants and Plant 
Products can be found on page 50 ; 
• Transit movements:  Further information on transit movements is on page 65 ; 
• Common user Charge:  Additional information on the indicative charges at government 
owned BCPs can be found on page 75 ; 
• IT Systems and digitised certification:  a systems roadmap and timeline is available on 
page 81 ; G/SPS/N/GBR/30/Add.2  
 
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  • Single Trade Window:  A delivery plan and timeline has been provided on page 84 ; 
• Windsor Framework:  Additional information on the interactions between the Windsor 
Framework and the BTOM is on page 68 ; 
• Import of samples:  We have published information on import samples (refer to page 40) 
and outlined that detailed industry specific guida nce will be provided.  
For Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls , our approach under the new model will have the 
following three key elements:  
• A new global risk -based approach:  live animals, germinal products, products of animal 
origin, animal by -products, plants and plant products will be categorised as high, medium or 
low risk, with controls appropriately weighted against the risks posed both by the commodity 
and the country o f origin. We have published a comprehensive searchable list with commodity 
codes to identify risk categories of animal and animal products for the E uropean Union. 
(Please refer to gov.uk: BTOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the 
EU to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes ); 
• Streamlined and digitised health certificates:  we are digitising phytosanitary certificates 
in 2023 with take -up depending on our trade partners' readiness. We have also published 
streamlined export health certificates for live animals and anim al products (please refer to 
gov.uk: Model health certificates for exports of live animals and animal products to Great 
Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) , and we will seek to deliver digitised export health 
certificates in 2024 leading to more automated use of data;  
• Use trust: we will pilot schemes with industry where authorised importers of plan ts, plant 
products and some animal products may be eligible for facilitations to make importing easier. 
To qualify, traders will need to provide the enhanced assurances and evidence that they are 
meeting the regulatory biosecurity requirements and standard s. The schemes will be piloted 
to ensure that they will provide robust biosecurity assurances for UK exports and will not be 
implemented if they do not demonstrate this.  
Timeline  
31 January 2024 -  
• Export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates are introduced for medium risk animal 
products, plants and plant products imported to Great Britain from the E uropean Union and 
EFTA countries including Irish goods, as well as non -qualifying Northern Ireland goods ; 
• Introduction of pre-notification for non -qualifying Northern Ireland and Ireland origin animal 
products, plant and plant products.  
30 April 2024 -  
• Documentary checks and physical and identity checks at the border are introduced for 
medium risk animal products, plant and plant products imported to Great Britain from the 
European Union and EFTA countries (excluding those goods being imported from the Republic 
of Ireland ); 
• The introduction of documentary and risk -based identity and physical checks on medium risk 
animal produ cts, plants, plant products and high -risk food and feed of non -animal origin from 
the European Union. Existing inspections of high -risk plants/plant products from the E uropean 
Union will move from destination to Border Control Posts ; 
• We will also begin to simplify imports from non -EU countries. This will include the removal of 
health certification and routine checks on low -risk animal products, plants, plant products 
from non -EU countries as well as reduction in physical and identity check levels on medium -
risk animal products from non -EU countries ; 
• The global model of controls is introduced for Rest of World imports, health certificates will 
no longer be required for low -risk goods and pre -notification will no longer be required for 
low-risk plant and plant  products.  
31 October 2024 -  
• Safety and Security declarations for EU imports will come into force ; G/SPS/N/GBR/30/Add.2  
 
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  • A reduced dataset introduced for imports and use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove 
duplication where possible across different pre -arrival datasets – such as Safety and Security, 
and pre -lodged customs declarations.  
From 31 October 2024 -  
• The introduction of documentary and risk -based identity and physical checks on medium risk 
animal products, plants, plant products and high -risk food and feed of non-animal origin from 
the E uropean Union. The date for the commencement of physical checks for non -qualifying 
goods moving from the island of Ireland will be confirmed in Autumn 2023.  
• These changes will not affect the movement of qualifying Northern Ireland goods into Great 
Britain, which will continue to benefit from unfettered access. Nor will they affect the 
movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, arrangements for which are 
outlined under the Windsor Framework . 
Importers and their supply chains should already be preparing for the first milestone and 
should begin to prepare for the second and third milestones now.  
We will publish further detail to support businesses and their supply chains to prepare. We will publish 
this d etail through a series of supplementary annexes to the Border Target Operating Model that will 
be published on gov.uk.  A timeline for the publication of this further detail is set out in Annex I . 
We intend to work closely with importer s and the border industry and will create a business readiness 
group that we will use to continue consultation with businesses on the further guidance and support 
they require to prepare.  
This addendum concerns a:  
[ ] Modification of final date for comme nts 
[ ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation  
[X] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation  
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation  
[X] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force  
[ ] Other:  
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified measure 
in terms of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of 
comments should be provided,  normally of at least 60 calendar days. Under other 
circumstances, such as extension of originally announced final date for comments, the 
comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification Authority, 
[X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other 
body:  
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail: UKSPS@defra.gov.uk  
Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail: UKSPS@defra.gov.uk  
 
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