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Plant Health Regulations

Volume 715: debated on Monday 7 December 2009

Question

Asked by

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the inspection fees listed in Schedule 2 to the Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (England) (Amendment) Regulations (SI 2009/2053) have been raised for countries supplying dianthus and rosa; and why they have been reduced for countries supplying the listed fruit and vegetables. [HL332]

The inspection fees listed in Schedule 2 to the Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (England) (Amendment) Regulations (SI 2009/2053) are set according to the level of checks required under the plant health directive (2000/29 EC) to provide assurance that the imported plants or plant produce are free from quarantine plant pests and diseases.

An annual review by the European Commission determines the trades eligible for levels of inspection below 100 per cent, based on records of inspections and interceptions over the previous three years. A working group held in June this year agreed the addition of one new trade, the removal of two trades, and changes to the levels of inspection on 11 trades to take account of new data on compliance. Member states reported an increase in the number of interceptions of quarantine pests and diseases associated with imports of dianthus from Israel and Kenya and roses from India, Uganda and Zambia, resulting in an increase in the level of inspection on those trades and a corresponding increase to the fees. Conversely, there was a reduction in the number of interceptions associated with some other trades (eg citrus fruit from Honduras and Israel) which resulted in a reduction in the level of inspection and fees for those trades.

These inspections are undertaken by the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), which supports the risk-based approach to such inspections adopted by the Commission.