The government has announced another delay to the introduction of post-Brexit border controls on EU goods entering Britain.
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) includes the UK’s plan for introducing a “simplified and digitised” approach to implementing controls, including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on agrifood products.
In a statement yesterday, the government confirmed that proposed border checks on live animals, animal products, plants and plants products would be delayed by three months and will now come into effect from 31 January 2024 onwards.
The original checks were supposed to come into force in 2021, but have been delayed five times due to the pressures businesses have faced as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
A draft of BTOM – which includes a risk-based approach to conducting SPS checks – was published in the spring.
Under the plan, SPS goods will be sorted into three categories – ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’ – which will determine the level of checks and documentation that will to enter Great Britain.
The government was expected to publish the final version of BTOM earlier in the summer, with the first new checks due for introduction from the end of October onwards.
The government says that the most recent delay was due to industry feedback and hopes that the additional three months will give traders more time to prepare for the new checks.
The new timeline is:
31 January 2024 – The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU
30 April 2024 – New documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU
31 October 2024 – New safety and security declarations for EU imports will come into force