On August 29th the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority issued an Information Notice to Trade regarding a delay in the Implementation of Export Health Certification for trade with Great Britain.
This comes following confirmation by the UK Government on 29th August 2023* that the implementation of Export Health Certification for goods (including fish and fishery products) from the EU to Great Britain will be delayed until the 31st January 2024.
For the avoidance of doubt, this means that all of the proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls changes for fish and fishery products consignments from Ireland to GB, including export health certification and pre-notification requirements, which had been due to be implemented from the 31st of October 2023, will not go ahead on that date and are now scheduled to be implemented from the 31st of January 2024 instead.
As part of this announcement, the UK Government has also published an updated version of their Border Target Operating Model** which contains their plans for a new approach to importing goods into Great Britain, that will be progressively introduced from the end of January 2024.
The SFPA will continue to communicate further updates as and when required in this ever-evolving third country regulatory environment.
Queries regarding this information notice may be addressed to SFPATradeandAudit@sfpa.ie
ENDS
Notes to Editor
*Full text of the UK Govt press release New border controls to protect the UK against security and biosecurity threats and ensure smooth flow of goods - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
** Border Target Operating Model https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023
About the SFPA
The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is the independent statutory body responsible for the regulation of the sea-fisheries and the sea-food production sectors. It promotes compliance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, sea-fisheries law and food safety law relating to fish and fish products, verifies compliance and, where necessary, enforces it. Its mandate covers all fishing vessels operating within Ireland’s 200-mile limit, over 2,000 Irish registered fishing vessels wherever they operate, and all seafood produced in Ireland’s seafood processing companies. The SFPA operates through a network of regional port offices situated at Ireland’s main fishery harbours. For further information visit: www.sfpa.ie