Business, Freight News, Logistics

DEFRA to consult on inspection charges

[ June 12, 2023   //   Chris Lewis ]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has launched a four-week consultation on proposed inspection charges at government-run Border Control Posts (BCPs). The four-week consultation will invite industry views on the introduction of charges for commercial plant, plant products and animal imports from the EU from next year. DEFRA says that the proposed range of checks will strengthen the UK’s domestic biosecurity and protect UK producers and consumers from dangerous and costly disease outbreaks.

From next year, documentary, risk-based identity and physical checks will be introduced on some commercial goods arriving from the EU. Products including medium-risk animal products, plants, plant products, and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin could all be selected for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks at BCPs.

Defra is consulting on a Common User Charge to recover the operational costs of BCPs run by the Government in England and is working closely with the devolved governments to extend these arrangements to cover other government-run BCPs within Great Britain in the future. The flat rate charge would be levied on every consignment eligible for SPS checks entering Great Britain through the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, a charging model designed to keep costs as low as possible.

Tags: Defra