Importing Organic Products into the EU



Importing Organic Products into the EUBefore you arrange to purchase and import organic products into the EU you must ensure as the importer you hold organic certification, even if you don’t handle the goods yourself. To certify with the Soil Association Certification you will need a UK registered address You can find details of how to apply hereThis document provides a summary of the import requirements, please ensure you refer to section 6.8 of Soil Association Food & Drink standards for the full details. Whether you are certified, or you are applying to be, we will ask you to complete a description of your importing activities.Before you arrange a shipment it’s important to ensure your supplier holds certification for the product/s that is recognised for placing the product in the market in the EU. See our guidance on checking your supplier’s certification here, or contact us with any queries at coi@.Further guidance on importing organic products is available on our website.Importing within the EUThere are no restrictions on importing organic produce from within the?EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or from Switzerland, providing that the supply chain is certified organic to the EU organic regulations. Importing from outside the EUCertificate of Inspection (COI)A Certificate of Inspection (COI) must accompany all imports of organic produce from outside the EU. Failure to do so will result in your organic goods losing status. The 4 summarised steps below are all required.. NB The COI must be issued by the exporter’s certification body before the consignment leaves the third country. Registering on the TRACES NT portal COIs are issued and managed through the European Commission’s online system TRACES. If you are an importer or first consignee (‘operator’) of organic goods from outside the EU you need to sign up for a TRACES account. We will verify that you hold a valid certificate and then your account will be activated. First you will need to register for an EU login account. Instructions can be found hereThen you will need to request access for your company on the TRACES NT portalFor further guidance or assistance in getting set up on TRACES please contact coi@ 2. Creation of the COICreating the COI is typically carried out by the exporter who will fill in and submit?the certificate on the TRACES portal before the goods have been shipped. However, the importer can raise/create the COI as well. See instructions here. In cases where it is not possible to provide final transport documents (e.g. bill of lading) before the consignment leaves the exporting country, the COI can be issued based on draft versions. The final transport documents must be uploaded to the COI in TRACES by the exporter’s certification body within 10 days from the issuance of the COI and, in any case before the consignment arrives in the EU.It is important to check that you and/or your exporter is aware of this as it could result in the goods losing their organic status when they are cleared to enter the EU. Endorsement of the COI by the Port Health Authority (PHA) / Border Control Posts (BCP) where the consignment clears to enter the EUAs importers it is your responsibility to ensure you notify the port where the consignment will arrive in the EU, and that a valid COI is presented for approval. Failure to do so may result in your organic goods losing their organic statusPlease ensure the following:You or your representative clearing agent contact the relevant PHA to inform them when your consignment will be arriving. For goods arriving via vessel they require at least 48 hours’ notice. For airfreight, they require at least 6 hours.You check the requirement for clearing organic goods. Some individual ports may have different pre-notification forms that need to be completed, before the goods arrive and can be cleared. You are aware of the charges for clearing organic consignments. Each port will have a different rate.Below are the contact details for the most frequently used Port Health Authorities:Imports into Heathrow please email: imports@.ukImports into Felixstowe please see guidance from Suffolk Costal Port Authority here Imports into London City Gateway or Tilbury please email porthealth@.uk Imports into Southampton Port please see guidance hereFor any other PHAs contact information please see The Port Health Authority Association’s directory here Endorsement of the COI by the first consignee who receives the goods.The last part of the COI process is when the goods arrive in the EU and are transported to the first consignee. This is defined as :…….the natural or legal person to whom the imported consignment is delivered and who will receive it for further preparation and/or marketingWhen the 1st consignee signs box 21 on the COI it is to verify that the goods were received in accordance with the conditions specified in the regulation. Please see the Soil Association Food & Drink Standards from 6.8.8 onwards which will explain what checks need to be carried out. Record Keeping Once each section of the COI is endorsed by the relevant party the importer must retain the stamped originals for a minimum of two years. These will be required for your annual inspection. If this is not available, and we cannot verify the product is organic, we are required to remove organic status of the product. Importing from China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and MoldovaThe European Commission has additional controls for import of certain organic products from, (or originating from), China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Moldova. This is due to concerns over the organic integrity of those products. The controls require additional documentation and testing, before leaving those countries but also on arrival in the EU. If you intend to import, any of those products?into the EU, then you must take the actions detailed in the?link below?before using or selling the product with reference to organic. You can find full details hereImported product without a valid COI:In the UK, the port health authority (PHA) is responsible for checking the documentation of organic produce at the port of arrival. They have the authority to stop entry of organic produce not accompanied by a valid COI and the goods may be held at port or lose their organic status. The PHA checks that the information on the COI matches with the goods being imported and other documents associated with the shipment such as the Airway Bill or Bill of Lading. If the information is correct, they endorse the COI and the goods are allowed to enter the EU as organic. For more information please contact coi@In summary: key points to remember:Everyone in the supply chain needs to be registered on TRACES NT. If you are an importer or first consignee you need to sign up for a TRACES account. We will verify that you hold a valid certificate and then your account will be activatedA Certificate of Inspection?(COI) needs to accompany every organic shipmentThe importer will need an EORI number (apply here)The exporter must create the COI on TRACES before the goods leave the third countryMultiple products from the same consignment can be included on one COI certificate, only the organic products need to be listed if the consignment contains both organic and conventionalIt is the importer’s responsibility to ensure all the correct paperwork is in place and they need to request the CB in the 3rd country sends the signed paper copy* to travel with the goods or be presented at the PHA when the goods are cleared to enter the EU. Importers must notify UK ports/airports at least 48 hours in advance of the goods arriving.? The COI is endorsed by the Port Health Authority and the once approved the goods are cleared as organic.The first consignee must also endorse the COI*During COVID-19?pandemic the EC have agreed COIs may be processed on the basis of the electronic copy/TRACES only, with no paper copy required.Useful links: ................
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