Plant Passports for wood wood products and bark

Plant Passports for wood, wood products and bark Ian Murgatroyd Forestry Commission Plant Health Service

Plant Health Regulation • The new Plant Health Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 (PHR) requires the use of plant passports for the movement of all conifers and Castanea species (including sweet chestnut) with bark, and Platanus species (e. g. plane) with or without bark. • Imports of these species from the EU and other controlled species imported from non EU countries, are collectively referred to as “Plant Health forestry regulated material (PHfrm)”. • This will apply to UK origin material moved within the UK and also PHfrm imported into the UK from the EU and non EU countries. Where the consignment of imported PHfrm does not change (eg added to or changed in form) the plant passport issued by a EU member country or the original official document (eg phytosanitary certificate) can be used to support movement within the UK. 2 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

The benefit of the plant passport traceability • Plant passports provide traceability and can be used to help to determine the source of outbreaks and introduced pests. • Introducing plant passports for movement of PHfrm wood products will enable the UK to retain Protected Zone status for conifer bark beetles and other known and emerging pests. • This will help to both ensure that the UK protects its commercial and conservation interests in forests and woodlands, and to continue to export plant passported material to other EU protected zones. 3 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Prioritisation • For the PHfrm species described earlier, a plant passport (or other official document) will be required at each stage of the transport chain (including movement after importation) where whole or chipped roundwood (including brash) is moved from the harvesting site and/or site of aggregation, to the processor. • A plant passport will also be required for the movement of regulated isolated bark from a wood processor to a bark processor, for Christmas trees over 3 metres tall and for cut conifer foliage taken from trees over 3 metres tall. 4 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Products not prioritised for passporting • At present plant passports are not prioritised for these products; • Saw dust with bark, sawmill product chipped wood with bark, slab wood with bark, aboricultural and tree surgery arisings and other processed material with bark (The exception is roundwood at harvesting sites or otherwise aggregated for chipping, ie not sawmill product) 5 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Competent Authority • The Forestry Commission (FC) and DAERA (Northern Ireland) will manage the approval and inspection of bodies who issue plant passports for the movement of Plant Health forestry regulated material. Each • FC will maintain a register of registered authorised professional operators on behalf of England, Scotland Wales. 6 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Definition for a ‘RAPO’ A Registered Authorised Professional Operator (RAPO) is • A business with the necessary authority to issue plant passports for the movement of certain wood, wood products and bark. • The RAPO commissioning the movement of wood, wood products and bark is responsible for issuing the plant passport. • Examples of RAPOs may include; processors (i. e. e. g. sawmills panel board manufacturers, bark processors), management companies, merchants and timber contractors. 7 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

How are plant passports used? • A RAPO can be incorporate plant passports into delivery advice notes (printed, or using a sticker or stamp) • Alternatively these can be supplied as a stand alone document with delivery advice notes, accompanying the load. 8 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Plant Passport incorporated into a delivery advice note 9 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Stand alone plant passport 10 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Elements of a plant passport • • 11 1 The EU flag which may be printed in colour, or in black and white, either with white stars on a black background or vice versa. 2 The words ‘Plant Passport — PZ’ in English. 3 Scientific name(s) of protected zone quarantine pest(s) or, alternatively, the codes specifically attributed to those pests. 4 The botanical name(s) of the plant(s) species or taxon(s) concerned. For all conifers the Order Pinales can be used and for sweet chestnut Castanea must be used and for plane, Platanus must be used. 5 The two-letter code for the Member State in which the professional operator issuing the plant passport is registered. The code for the UK (including Northern Ireland) is GB. The alphabetical, numerical or alphanumerical national registration number of the professional operator concerned 6 The traceability code (delivery advice note numbers can be used) of the plant, plant product or the other object concerned. 7 The two-letter code of the Member State of origin, ie GB is used for UK. 8 As an example but not necessary at present, a QR code is shown which can support the trial of electronic passports which are not permitted at present. QR codes can also be used to supplement the traceability code. 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

Annual Inspections • The competent authority must complete annual inspections of RAPOs issuing plant passports to ensure they are complying with the Plant Health Regulation. • This inspection frequency may be reduced to once every two years, where a Pest Risk Management Plan approved by the competent authority has been in place for two years. • The Forestry Commission are investigating inspection models, including using contract inspectors which could be aligned with other inspections, such as those for chain of custody, to reduce the burden on industry. 12 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service

What to do to Register • For those companies who want to be preregistered and provisionally authorised before the 14/12/19, the following voluntary approach can be taken for early adopters; • Please contact the Forestry Commission Plant Health Service using email; plant. health@forestrycommission. gov. uk • You will be asked to complete a registration form and complete an e-learning module with a Knowledge Check. You will also be given a support document “Overview on Plant Passporting” and you can request a support call if required. 13 16/06/2021 FC Plant Health Service