The Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2007

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (England) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1879) (“the principal Regulations”). The principal Regulations implement Article 13d of Council Directive 2000/29/EC (OJ No. L 169, 10.7.00, p. 1), which requires member States to charge fees to cover the costs occasioned by the documentary checks, identity checks and plant health checks of certain imports of plants, plant products and other objects from third countries.

These Regulations: (a) extend the application of the principal Regulations to consignments consisting of goods in transit within the European Community in respect of which the Secretary of State has agreed with the official body of point of entry for those goods, in accordance with the Plant Health (England) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/2530), to be responsible for certain matters; and (b) substitute a new Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations, to give effect to the latest agreed reduced rates for inspections of certain material. (Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations includes provision for reduced rates for certain plants and plant products agreed under the procedure provided for in Articles 13d(2) and 18(2) of the Directive.) The changes to the fees made by these Regulations, which are set at a proportion of the standard fee (described in Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations) corresponding to the rate of inspection, are based on the agreed inspection rates set out below:

(1) Initial fee per consignment for cut flowers (up to 20,000 in number) and fruit and vegetables (up to 25,000 kg in weight). Corresponding fees are set in the Regulations for additional quantities, maximum price per consignment and non-daytime working hours.
(2) Consignments subject to an inspection rate of 100% are excluded from the reduced rate inspection scheme and are subject to the import inspection fees specified in Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations.
Genus	Country of origin	Previous rate of inspection	Initial fee(1)	New rate of inspection	Initial fee, specified in Schedule 2
Cut Flowers
Aster	Zimbabwe	50%	£6.62	100%(2)	-
Dianthus	Israel	25%	£3.31	35%	£4.63
Dianthus	Morocco	50%	£6.62	100%	-
Rosa	Ecuador	5%	£0.66	3%	£0.40
Rosa	Ethiopia	25%	£3.31	5%	£0.66
Rosa	Israel	10%	£1.32	100%	-
Rosa	Kenya	1%	£0.13	5%	£0.66
Rosa	Tanzania	25%	£3.31	15%	£1.98
Rosa	Uganda	5%	£0.66	10%	£1.32
Rosa	Zimbabwe	25%	£3.31	50%	£6.62
Fruit
Fortunella	Israel	50%	£6.62	100%	-
Fortunella	South Africa	75%	£9.93	100%	-
Malus	USA	15%	£1.98	25%	£3.31
Mangifera	Brazil	10%	£1.32	5%	£0.66
Passiflora	South Africa	75%	£9.93	50%	£6.62
Prunus	Argentina	15%	£1.98	25%	£3.31
Prunus	Chile	10%	£1.32	15%	£1.98
Prunus	Turkey	15%	£1.98	10%	£1.32
Prunus	USA	35%	£4.63	50%	£6.62
Pyrus	Argentina	15%	£1.98	25%	£3.31
Pyrus	Chile	25%	£3.31	35%	£4.63
Pyrus	South Africa	10%	£1.32	15%	£1.98
Citrus	Israel	15%	£1.98	25%	£3.31
Citrus	Peru	75%	£9.93	25%	£3.31
Citrus	Turkey	15%	£1.98	5%	£0.66
Citrus	USA	15%	£1.98	10%	£1.32
Citrus	Zimbabwe	75%	£9.93	100%	-
Vegetables
Solanum melongena	Turkey	75%	£9.93	25%	£3.31

The regulatory impact assessment which was prepared in respect of the predecessor to the principal Regulations (S.I. 2005/906) foresaw changes to the fees for plant health import inspections to which these Regulations apply. This was placed in the Library of each House of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from Plant Health Division, Defra, Foss House, Kings Pool, Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PX.