These Regulations amend the Plant Health (Fees) (Forestry) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2697) (“the principal Regulations”) in relation to England and Scotland.
The principal Regulations implement Article 13d(2) of Council Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community (OJNo. L 169, 10.7.2000, p.1) (“the Directive”). Article 13d requires member States to collect fees for checks carried out on consignments of wood, wood product and isolated bark. Article 13d(2) provides for the collection of proportionately reduced fees where checks are being carried out at a reduced frequency in accordance with Article 13a(2) of the Directive.
These Regulations amend the principal Regulations as follows.
They substitute a new Schedule 3 to increase the fees for plant health checks from £26 to £31.20 per consignment (and from £0.20 to £0.25 for each additional m3 in excess of 100m3 in relation to a consignment of wood other than wood in the form of shavings, chips or sawdust) (regulation 3).
They substitute a new Schedule 3A to omit the United States of America as one of the specified countries of origin and increase the reduced fees for consignments of Acer saccharum from Canada from £6.13 to £23.40 per consignment (and from £0.10 to £0.20 for each additional m3 in excess of 100m3) (regulation 4).
They substitute a new Schedule 4 to increase the fees for documentary checks from £6 to £7.20 per consignment and for identity checks from £6 to £7.20 and, for bulk loads of 100m3 or more, from £12 to £14.40, per consignment (regulation 5).
A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector has been prepared and placed in the Library of each House of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from the Forestry Commission, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT. It is also annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum for these Regulations which is available alongside these Regulations on www.legislation.gov.uk.
Regulations revoked (6.4.2015) by The Plant Health (Fees) (Forestry) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/350), regs. 1(b), 4(e)