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 Consultation on  Method for Determining  the Frequency of  Risk Targeted  Plant Health 
Import Inspection s 
1. The inspections carried out by GB Plant Health Services  on consignments of imported  
plants , plant products and other objects are intended to prevent the introduction and 
spread of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and are crucial in protecting GB 
against risks arising from trade in plants and plant material. They protect our nation’s 
crops, produce, trees and other plants from the threat of pests and diseases and help 
support the government’s goal of leaving the natural environment in a better sta te than 
we found it.  
2. The general principle is that all consignments of regulated  plants  and plant products (i.e. 
those which could pose a risk to plant health and which must be accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate) are inspected on arrival, or shortl y thereafter. However, w hen 
the UK was part of the European Union , import trade pathways  (i.e. a commodity type 
from a specific country)  which  were judged to  pose a low plant health risk  and which 
could demonstrate  a good history of compliance  could be ins pected at a  reduced 
frequency. Higher risk material, such as plants for planting and potatoes, were excluded 
from consideration for any reduction in inspection level. Certain criteria, including an 
adequate level of consignments imported and inspections ca rried out, had to be met for 
trades to be considered for any reduction in inspection frequency. The level of checks 
required was calculated  using a matrix,  based on the number of imported consignments , 
the level of inspections carried out  and the history o f past compliance. Following our exit 
from the EU we are intending to  retain  that risk targeted approach to import inspections  
and adapt it  to better align with the  particular risk that imported consignments pose to 
GB.  
3. The annex below provides more background and explains the method  that we are 
intending to  use to determine the levels of identity checks  and physical inspection  on 
regulated plant health goods  import ed into GB. The level of checks would be reviewed 
annually and amended  upwards or downwards  as necessary  to reflect any changes in 
the level of risk particular trades pose . Any evidence of a serious plant health risk could 
lead to  more urgent action be ing taken  outside of the annual review process (e.g. 
immediately increasing inspection levels) .  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Annex  
 
The r isk targeted system for inspection of regulated plant health material entering GB  
 
1. Purpose  
This text summarises the evidence used to inform the minimum level of  identity and  physical 
phytosanitary inspections (checks) of certain plants, plant products or other objects eligible to 
be part of a risk targeted import inspection  regime.  
 
2. Introduction  
In respo nse to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU there was a need to develop a  risk targeted 
import inspection  regime  for GB . This would  allow reduced  levels of  identity and  physical 
checks on lower risk regulated material of plant health relevance. Most c onsignments of 
plants, plant products or other objects  for import  should, in principle, be subject to  
documentary,  identity and p hysical checks before being permitted entry . However, whilst part 
of the EU and to make efficient use of inspection resources, consignments of some plant 
products or other objects , with a good history of compliance with phytosanitary requirements , 
were  allowed a reduced frequency of plant health checks , provi ded they met certain eligibility 
criteria . 
Following the end of the Transition Period GB Plant Health Services have  developed a r isk 
targeted inspection system to allow for lower levels of checks  of regulated plant health goods . 
The Official Controls Regulation requires such a system to be developed. The GB risk targeted  
inspection system  will allow inspection resources to be saved if fewer checks are made on the 
lowest risk material. Justification for developing a system of lower  level checks is supported 
by the fact that there are no records of regulated pests becoming established in GB as a result 
of infestation on regulated imports of plant produce.  
 
3. The GB system for r isk targeted inspections  
An EU system for r isk targeted inspections has been in place since 2005 , it works well and is 
recognised by third countries. It provide s a model framework for how a GB system could 
operate. The framework for the EU risk targeted checks system has therefore been taken and 
adapted for use by GB. Criteria used to determine which regulated goods are eligible for a 
reduced  level of  checks in the EU are  also being used in the GB system but scaled 
appropriately to reflect the smaller GB market. Thus , eligible goods will generally  require a 
history of trade occurring in at least each of the past three years and have evidence of good 
compliance , e.g. no, or a very low level , of quarantine pests being detected. Each trade 
(country and commodity combination) in the risk targeted syste m will  require at least 40 
checks . Under the EU system the minimum had been  200 in total across the whole of the EU.   
The degree by which  identity and  physical  checks are to be reduced will be informed by the 
number of consignments imported and checked and the number and mobility of quarantine 
pests found during inspections. A GB working group will monitor and review compliance  
annually  and will alter the frequency of  checks, raising or lowering the level as appropriate.   3 | P a g e  
 Any evidence of a serious plant health risk could lead to more urgent action being taken 
outside of the annual review process (e.g. immediately increasing inspection levels).   
This mirrors the work of  the EU inspection frequency  working group. Trades will be eligible to 
be added to the system if supported by evidence  or good justification . Trades already in the 
system that fail to maintain the required eligibility criteria set out in paragraph 4.1 belo w will 
be removed from the GB risk targeted inspection s ystem  with target levels of inspection 
reverting to 100% .  A minimum number of 40 checks per year on each trade is suggested as 
the lowest level of checks permitted to allow continued monitoring of risk . 
 
4. Outline method of evaluation  
4.1 Eligibility  
Trades eligible for consideration as part of a GB risk targeted  plant health checks regime 
should meet the following criteria:  
(a) the mean number of consignments of the product imported into G B over the past 
three years should be at least 54  consignments per year , and  
 
(b) the mean number of consignments of the product imported and physical ly inspected 
in GB over the past three years should be at least 40  per year , 
4.2 Procedure  
The level of checks  required  is determined by :  
 
• the number of consignments inspected over  the previous  three years,  
 
• the number of quarantine pests intercepted over  the previous  three years,  
 
• the mobility of the  relevant  quarantine pests at the pests most mobile stage,  
 
• other relevant facto rs. For example, documentary infringements , such as missing 
additional declarations, or lack of ISPM 15 markings on certain wood products.  
 
i) For each  trade (commodity & country combination) being considered, determine the 
number of consignments physically inspected in GB over past 3 years. Locate  this value in 
column A of Table 1 (Look up table ). 
 
ii) Classify the mobility of each pest intercepted on the trade and notified to Europhyt / GB 
equivalent to Europhyt, in the past 3 years. Rate mobility as e ither High, Medium or Low . 
Mobility ratings ar e scored. High = 9, Medium = 3 and Low = 1. Score 0.1 for any and each 
additional notification of non -compliance.   Sum the non-compliance and weighted mobility 
scores to give the F score for the trade using Table 2.  
 
iii) In Table 1, cross reference the F score (Column C) with the number of consignments 
checked in GB over the past 3 years (Column A) and read across into Column D which 
indicates the possible % of checks required.  
  
iv) If the % checks required indicates that less than 40 cons ignments can be inspected the 
level of inspection is adjusted up to a level that ensures that at least 40 consignments are 
inspected the following year (Column E) . 
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 Table 1: Look up table to determine level of checks based on number of consignments 
previously checked and F score.  
 
A.  B C D E 
Number of  
consignments c heck ed 
in GB over past 3 years  Mean n umber of annual 
checks  in GB  F score    
% 
checks  Number of e xpected 
consignments check ed 
in a year  
From To From To  required  From  To 
120 299 40 99 > 36 100 40 99 
    > 27, ≤ 36  75 40 75 
    > 18, ≤ 27  50 40 50 
    > 11, ≤ 18  25 40 40 
    > 7, ≤ 11  10 40 40 
    ≤ 7 5 40 40 
300 599 100 199 > 45 100 100 199 
    > 36, ≤ 45  75 75 150 
    > 27, ≤ 36  50 50 100 
    > 18, ≤ 27  25 40 50 
    > 11, ≤ 18  10 40 40 
    ≤ 11 5 40 40 
600 1,199 200 399 > 56 100 200 399 
    > 45, ≤ 56  75 150 300 
    > 34, ≤ 45  50 100 200 
    > 25, ≤ 34  25 50 100 
    > 16, ≤ 25  10 40 40 
    ≤ 16 5 40 40 
    ≤ 5 1 40 40 
1,200 2,399 400 799 > 63 100 400 799 
    > 54, ≤ 63  75 300 600 
    > 36, ≤ 54  50 200 400 
    > 27, ≤ 36  25 100 200 
    > 18, ≤ 27  10 40 80 
    ≤ 18 5 40 40 
    ≤ 7 1 40 40 
2,400 4,799 800 1,599 > 83 100 800 1,599  
    > 63, ≤ 83  75 600 1,200 
    > 52, ≤ 63  50 400 800 
    > 38, ≤ 52  25 200 400 
    > 25, ≤ 38  10 80 160 
    ≤ 25 5 40 80 
    ≤ 7 1 40 40 
>4,800  1,600  > 144  100 1,600+   
    > 117, ≤ 144  75 1,200 9,000 
    > 90, ≤ 117  50 800 6,000 
    > 63, ≤ 90  25 400 3,000 
    > 36 ≤ 63  10 160 1,200 
    > 7, ≤ 36  5 40 600 
    ≤ 7 1 40 120 
 
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 Table 2: Determining the F score. Multiply each interception over the past three years by the 
pests ’ mobility rating then sum across all interceptions and other non -compliance to get F  
Mobility rating =  High  Mediu
m Low Other non -
compliancea  
No. of infringements of each type  
in past 3 years  a b c d 
Weighting  9 3 1 0.1 
Product of # infringements by 
weighting  9a 3b c 0.1 d  
F =  9a + 3b + c + 0.1d  
a Other non -compliance e.g. wood with bark that should be bark free; documentary infringements