Plant Passports
by
This is probably the most unhelpful piece I've ever written for this column.
And as an opening statement, I've just broken Rule No 1 for wannabe journos everywhere. I feel justified, though.
The story starts on the British Expat Forum, in the humble but evergreen Clark in the Park board. Several queries have cropped up recently regarding the movement of plants within the EU, mainly concerning those who are leaving the UK and want to take Katie the Cactus, who has become part of the family.
In true investigative journo fashion, I decided to take up the challenge, and have trawled through so many gov.uk sites tonight I can tell you the girth of Ally Campbell's Willy (he has a pet snake called Willy, allegedly).
But Willy's girth was far easier to find than a definitive answer to the pertinent question.
Let me start with the good news.
If you want to move plants, seeds, bulbs or cut flowers for your personal use, within the EU, you can do so without the need for any plant health certificates – providing they are within your own luggage, not intended for any trading purpose, and free of pests and diseases. There are no statutory border checks for plants travelling between EU member states.
Wow! Whoopee! Result!
Well, not quite . . .
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has an interesting website.
Many years ago, I was driving along a road I knew very well, but the fog was so thick, it was inside the car and I couldn't even see the steering wheel. I knew there was a sharp right somewhere ahead, so when I thought I saw a break in the hedge, I turned sharply. The experience of driving into the slurry pit of my local piggery is not one I'd care to repeat.
And this is the only way I can describe navigating the defra website. Well, not so much navigating – the navigation's okay. Finding actual information is impossible.
'Tis the defra site which advises that "there are no bureaucratic restrictions on the movement of plants across national borders within the EU".
'Tis also the defra site which elsewhere states "many plants require plant passports in order to circulate freely within the European single market".
The defra site also advises that "a limited range of (plant) material . . . . requires a plant passport to facilitate its movement". Nowhere on the site, however, as far as I can see, is there a list of plants which fall into this category.
The "passport" reference relates to the horticultural Plant Passport system, which is clear and well-defined, but refers exclusively to commercial plant production, and the trading of plants within the EU by commercial growers. There is no equivalent for plants grown by/belonging to an individual, who wishes to take said plants elsewhere in the EU.
HM Customs & Excise are equally unhelpful. Their website reminds us that non-food plants are subject to VAT, so if you have the temerity to bring a wee cutting of the Bird of Paradise back to the UK after your brief sojourn in Spain you must declare it and pay the duty or face the consequences. Mind you, it would be a useful diversion if you had half a distillery in your hand luggage.
Apart from that, HM C&E, responding to a search for "plants", seem obsessed with the movement of cannabis. Ever the critic, I'd have to say, as far as providing information for innocent souls wanting to take plants abroad, they've made a hash of it.
Failing miserably with gov.uk, I felt smugly confident that I'd find the necessary info on the Scottish Office website. Those of you who are aware of my politics will appreciate how much these next few lines pain me . . .
A search for "plant" on the Scottish Exec site offered "abattoir plant, EC rules for . .", "construction plant, EC Health and Safety Regulations for...", and "fish processing plant, obsolete". (Sorry, "obsolete" was my synonym for "current regulations").
A desperate alternative search for "seeds" produced a smothering swathe of GM propaganda.
I logged off in disgust, and retired to lick my wounds, with a wee Ord on standby.
I returned with renewed vigour, and with the optimism which is inevitably spawned by the whiff of a good malt, I checked out the British Tourism website (assuming what goes for what comes in, may also apply to what goes out).
I quote. "There are very few restrictions on what plants may be brought back, contact customs and excise for information." The bad grammar, ignorance of upper case, and general unhelpfulness are © visitscotland.com, and nothing to do with me. Likewise the direction to HM C&E, which as noted above, is as useful as Alex McLeish's notebook in a "time to sub de Boer" scenario.
The Kew Gardens website is well worth a visit for any horticulture buff, and the last word comes from there.
According to Kew, "any plant material specified by orders under the Plant Health Act 1967 must first be quarantined for at least a growing season..."
Sadly, my best search efforts have so far failed to establish exactly what is specified by the Plant Health Act 1967.
Clarkie's Conclusion
1. The Plant Passport system applies only to commercial transactions within the horticultural trade. So forget it.
2. The "for personal use" philosophy appears to apply in this case - a few plants should raise no eyebrows.
3. Neither the UK government nor the EC have actually addressed the question of individuals moving plants within the EU, as part of their personal possessions, hence no rules can be found.
4. As soon as they wake up, red tape will be introduced by the mile, so shift your plants now!
5. If you're challenged, challenge back. On what grounds? And whatever they tell you, tell me. This topic has only just begun!
And a post scriptum –
If you have experienced problems importing or exporting plants (on a personal, not commercial, basis), please let me know via the Forum. My (lengthy) investigations suggest a big can of worms. And I feel a campaign coming on . . .
© Mike Clark 2004
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