G/SPS/N/GBR/8  
 
2 June 2021  
(21-4559) Page: 1/3 
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  
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):   
− Fruit: 07 02 00, 07 07 00, 08 07 11, 08 07 19, 07 09 30, 07 09 93, 07 09 60, 07  09 99 
− Plants: 06 02 10, 06 02 20, 06 02 90, 06 03 19, 06 04 20, 07 09 20, 14 04 90  
− Wood: 14 04 90, 44 01 40, 44 01 12, 44 01 22, 44 03 12, 44 03 97, 44 03 99, 
44 04 20, 44 06 12, 44 06 92, 44 07 95, 44 07 97, 44 07 99, 44 08 90, 44 16 00, 
94 06 10  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners  China, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Democratic People's Republic 
of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia  and the Russia n Federation  are directly 
affected by measures on Agrilus fleischeri . Countries in the Americas are directly 
affected by measures on Prodiplosis longifila . The remaining measures affect any 
country exporting the relevant commodities to Great Britain (GB).  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  PH/026 Pest Measures . Language(s):  English . 
Number of pages:  21 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/GBR/21_3791_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This instrument amends the retained Commission 
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 ("the Phytosanitary Conditions Regulation") 
pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and European Union (Withdrawal 
Agreement Act 2020). It will introduce measures in England, Scotland and Wales 
(Great  Britain) against the import of host plants and other relevant regulated goods for 
certain pests ( Prodiplosis longifila , Agrilus fleischeri , Thekopsora minima  and Agrilus 
planipennis ). Imports  of these high -risk plant goods will only be permitted under certain 
conditions e.g.  the goods being grown in a pest free area, treated with heat. It will also 
introduce a prohibition on the import of Polymnia sonchifolia  plants from entering 
Great  Britain.  
Pest Risk Analyses (PRAs), conducted by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protec tion 
Organisation (EPPO), have recommended Prodiplosis longifila , Agrilus fleischeri , and 
Thekopsora minima  for regulation and suggested the approach that Great Britain are 
introducing to tackle these risks to biosecurity. Based on these PRAs, these pests were 
added in January 2021 as provisional quarantine pests (PQPs) in GB legislation (The Plant 
Health (Phytosanitary Conditions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020). 
No objections were raised by WTO Members to the PQP listing of these pests. This PQP 
listing means there is already an obligation to ensure freedom from these pests, but with 
no specific requirements about how this must be achieved or a mechanism to monitor G/SPS/N/GBR/8  
 
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  compliance through declarations on the phytosanitary certificate. The measures being  
notified define the requirements, to provide clarity to National Plant Protection 
Organisations (NPPOs) and industry and set in place the process by which we can be 
assured that pest freedom will be achieved.  
The EPPO PRA on Agrilus planipennis concluded that the likelihood of this pest establishing 
in the EPPO region, including Great Britain, was high and would cause serious damage to 
ash trees. The assessed risk of Agrilus planipennis  and Polymnia sonchifolia imports has 
significantly changed following n ew developments; the distribution of Agrilus planipennis  
has expanded to St Petersburg and GB quarantine pests were intercepted on samples of 
Polymnia sonchifolia . The measures being notified will extend the existing measures for 
Agrilus planipennis  and ta ke precautionary action against the new threat Polymnia 
sonchifolia . 
A failure to implement the legislation as soon as possible extends the period that 
Great  Britain is exposed to the serious biosecurity threat presented by these pests. 
For these reasons, the measures will come into force six weeks after it has been laid 
following the closure of the 60 day comment period. This will limit the period in which 
specific requirements are not in place, and therefore provide biosecurity assurances for 
the United K ingdom.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] 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) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
− ISPM 4 on the requirements for establishment of pest free areas  
− ISPM 10 on the requirements for the establishment of pest free places of 
production and pest free production sites  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 21 October 2021  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 21 October 2021  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 2 December 2021  
[ ] Trade f acilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 1 August 2021  
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.gov.uk  G/SPS/N/GBR/8  
 
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  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