G/SPS/N/GBR/10  
 
6 July 2021  
(21-5332) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED KINGDOM  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Horizontal measure  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  The Official Controls (Temporary Measures) 
(Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (Preceded by the Official Controls 
(Temporary Measures) (Coronavirus) (A mendment) Regulations 2021) . Language(s):  
English . Number of pages:  2 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/681/made  
6. Description of content:  Temporary measures to contain the risks to human, animal and 
plant health , and animal welfare during serious disruptions of control systems due to the 
coronavirus disease, providing options to allow control authorities to authorise, within 
strict paramete rs, natural persons to undertake official controls and official activities under 
their instruction by any available means of communication; checks on electronically 
submitted documents; documentary checks to take place at or away from the border; and 
meeti ngs with operators to be conducted by remote communication.  
The Official Controls (Temporary Measures) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 , 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/78/ made , amended the Commission 
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/466 ("the EU Regulation"), which became retained 
direct EU law under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("the Act"), to allow 
easements to the system of official controls in Great Britain  to continue beyond the end 
date of 1  February 2021 to 1 July 2021. It also reinstated a provision, previously in the 
EU Regulation, permitting appropriately authorised persons to carry out checks under the 
supervision of the competent authority. The Commi ssion Implementing Regulation 
(EU) 2020/466 was originally notified by the E uropean Union under reference 
G/SPS/N/EU/380 on 1  April 2020.  
The Official Controls (Temporary Measures) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No. 2) 
Regulations 2021 , https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/681/made , amends the end 
date of the application of the EU Regulation, as last amended by the Official Controls 
(Temporary Measures) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2 021, to 31  December 
2021.  G/SPS/N/GBR/10  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from t he 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 8 June 2021  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 8 June 2021  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 30 June 2021  
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] 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.go v.uk 
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] 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