The government has agreed to deregulate import procedures for reputable traders, slashing the level of checks required under the EU Marketing Standards in a significant step forward.
The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) lobbied the government hard and from 20 July, under the Assured Trader Scheme, registered importers can self-certify their consignments, with the immediate release of their products at the point of importation, apart from occasional random checks.
The decision is the culmination of a long-term strategy by the FPC in conjunction with the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) which will save the UK fresh produce industry significant time and cumulative costs estimated at £3 million each year.
Some 80 per cent of importers could be eligible to join the Assured Trader Scheme.
In addition, limited and random checks on products subject to the General Marketing Standard will also mean that just one per cent of produce will be selected for checks by the HMRC CHIEF system.
The Assured Trader Scheme is open to importers who can demonstrate that they have a good level of compliance with the regulations, training in place for their staff, records of inspection carried out on their goods and suitable facilities.
The scheme applies to the imports of commodities subject to the Specific Marketing Standard and not to General Marketing Standard commodities.
Other improvements include a more efficient and responsive risk assessment of companies within England and Wales, and standard clearer enforcement forms.
FPC has lobbied for these simplified and improved procedures for over five years, with key milestones being the introduction and development of PEACH and more recently the Automatic Licence Verification System.
FPC ceo Nigel Jenney said: “These developments have moved from paper to electronic trading, providing fast track clearance following inspections where necessary, and resulted in incremental annual savings of £3 million for the industry.
“The HMI deserves credit for a proactive, open relationship with the industry and for cutting out unnecessary red tape compared to other EU member states, which are suffering from the additional layers of bureaucracy and poorly thought out regulations.
He added: “The HMI is an exemplar of best practice among government agencies. It’s high time other UK Government departments took up the same opportunities and recognised the high standards of reputable traders, for example, in relation to plant health controlled goods and imports of so-called ‘high risk’ products.”
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