Session 8: Export Certification

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Session 8Export Certification

• Lidija Necajeva (LT)

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Major points to be presented

• Requirements for inspection and sampling in
  relation to export requirements
• Issuance of phytosanitary certificates
• Problems encountered, based on case studies.

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Basis for export certification

• IPPC Article V Export certification
• ISPM No. 7 Export Certification system
• ISPM No. 12 Guidelines for Phytosanitary
  Certification
• ISPM No. 23 Guidelines for Inspection
• Council Directive 2000/29/EC Article 6 and annex
  VII of said directive

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IPPC Provisions

• Each contracting party must have the sole
  authority responsible for export certification of
  plants plant products and other objects concerned

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Cooperation with Customs

• Custom office is constantly supplied with the
  list of plants and plant products that are under
  phytosanitary control in the importing country
  and therefore should have PC
• The list is incorporated in the special custom
  software
• Cooperation is essential ensuring that not even
  one consignment would left the country without
  phytosanitary certification prior to export

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Export certification fees

• Export certification fees are the same as the
  import inspection fees approved by Annex VIII a
  of the EC directive 2000/29/EC

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Extent of export

• Since joining the EU, the export from Lithuania
  (including re-export from other EU MS) has
  increased almost a double

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Trade partners

• The major export (in 2007) was destined for
• Russian federation (57.7 ),
• Saudi Arabia (18),
• Morocco (7.6),
• Belarus (7.5),
• Other countries (9.2)

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Register of Exporters in PHR

• SPPS registers exporters (EC and many other MS
  think that it would be useful to register
  exporters at Plant Health Register)
• The aim ensuring compliance with the
  International legislation of export certification
  in the EU

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Export certification

• May start at the place of production when the
  exporter is also a grower and knows that harvest
  shall be exported
• May start when the exporter notifies about the
  consignment to be exported 3 days (at least 24
  hours) prior to export

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Requirements of the importing country

• SPPS maintains information on the requirements of
  the importing countries as current as possible
  using EPPO, IPPC and other possible websites
• In some cases, when there is no possibility to
  obtain information on the requirements of
  importing country, exporters can obtain
  requirements from their trading partners of
  importing countries and supply it to SPPS

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Inspection objectives

• An export inspection is used to ensure that the
  consignment meets specified phytosanitary
  requirements of the importing country at the time
  of inspection and that would lead to the issuance
  of PC or re-PC

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Staff of sole authority

• Is
• Trained constantly
• Aware of the requirements of other countries the
  export is carried out to
• Aware of pests and their hosts
• Equipped with necessary tools (digital camera is
  very important)

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Inspection methods

• Examination of documents associated with a
  consignment
• Verification of consignment identity and
  integrity
• Visual examination
• Testing

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Examination of documents associated with a
consignment

• including bills of lading, invoice
• import permit (can be supplied by exporter, e.g.
  Export to Russian Federation)
• treatment documents/certificates, marks (such as
  provided for in ISPM No. 15) or other indicators
  of treatment
• certificate of origin (if consignment is in
  re-export)

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Verification of consignment identity and integrity

• The identity check verifies whether the type of
  plant or plant product or species is in
  accordance with the application for PC.
• The integrity check verifies if the consignment
  is clearly identifiable and the quantity and
  status is as declared in the phytosanitary
  certificate to be issued.
• Since exporters are registered at PHR, they have
  persons who are responsible for contacting with
  SPPS and also for integrity of the inspected
  consignment

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Visual examination

• Visual examination is used for pest detection and
  for verifying compliance with phytosanitary
  requirements of importing country

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Testing

• In case of suspicion a sample is taken from
  consignments/lots to determine if a pest is
  present
• Sampling depends on the commodity and the pest
  concerned and is performed in accordance with
  methodologies approved

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Inspection outcome

• If the consignment meets the requirements of
  importing country - the PC is issued
• In many cases, pests or signs of pests that have
  been detected may require identification or a
  specialized analysis in a laboratory before
  decision can be made whether consignment meets
  the requirements of importing country or not.

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Inspection outcome (2)

• While the samples are taken and being tested in
  the laboratory, the consignment is intercepted
  (held) until the results shall be received
• A system for properly documenting and maintaining
  samples and/or specimens should be in place to
  ensure trace-back to the relevant consignment and
  to facilitate later review of the results if
  necessary.

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PCs

• LT has two types of PCs
• Intended for Russian Federation (watermarks
  colours Green export brown re-export
  numbering (EB/LT/etc.)
• Intended for other countries
• (self-copying paper, colours Green export
  brown re-export, explanation of PC boxes on the
  back of the document in 4 languages, etc.)

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Electronic equivalent of PC

• According to ISPM 12 electronic certification may
  be used provided that
• the mode of issue and security is acceptable by
  the importing countries
• the information provided is consistent with the
  appropriate model(s)
• the intent of certification under the IPPC is
  realized
• the identity of the issuing authority can be
  adequately established.

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Completing the PC (ISPM 12)

• As accurate as possible
• No other information except related to
  phytosanitary can be indicated on the PC
• Consignment must be in conformity with the
  statement on the PC
• Should not contain unauthorized alterations or
  erasures

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LT experience

• We allow only small corrections which are signed
  by the inspector and has a stamp of RIP
• Nobody else is allowed to make corrections on the
  PC.

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Requirements made by importing countries

• Includes
• Language (Russian, English)
• period of validity (14 days from issuance till
  leaving the country)
• Completion (every box on the PC should be filled
  in)
• Quantity (indicate units, weight netto, brutto
  number of boxes, pallets and etc.)

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Problems encountered, based on case studies

• Lack of information on the requirements of the
  importing country
• Notifications
• Re-export of mixed plants and plant products
• Exporters an offshore companies
• Fraudulent PCs in the past

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Lack of information

• Some of the Third countries do not publish their
  requirement on the Internet, even on the website
  of IPPC
• SOLUTION
• Ask the exporter to get the requirements from
  their trade partners in the importing country

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Notification system

• After notification is received, it is analyzed
  and problems identified
• When the problem is known, the measures are taken
  to void further problems of the same nature

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Re-export of consignments of EU origin (1)

• Sometimes consignments arrive consisting of a
  lot of plants and plant products (different
  fruits, cut and pot flowers and etc.)
• SOLUTION 1
• We have learned to make the attachments to PC as
  accurate as possible, indicating not only the
  quantity, but also the weight (netto, brutto).
• Attachments have to have the number of
  certificate, signature of inspector and stamp of
  RIP.

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Re-export of consignments of EU origin (2)

• SOLUTION II (possibility)
• Introduction of Intra-EC Phytosanitary
  Communication Document would help a lot.
• The concept of the document consignments
  originating from other MS would be inspected in
  their countries and would arrive to LT with
  Intra-EC PCD. Then would be certified for export
  with the additional inspection if necessary.

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Intra-EC Phytosanitary Communication Document

• Document supposed to be used when one MS issues
  PC for consignments of the origin of other MS
• The use of said document would be based on the
  bilateral agreement between MS

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Second part
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Fraudulent PCs in the past

• Notifications in the past were received stating
  that the PCs are fraudulent
• SOLUTION
• PC produced on the watermarked paper
• Signed by the inspector whose signature is sent
  to importing country

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Export certification scheme
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MOST RECENT PROBLEM
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Memorandum

• On the safety of plant products for human
  consumption exported from the EC to the Russian
  Federation concerning pesticide residues,
  nitrates and nitrites (26 March 2008), which will
  come in force on 1 July 2008

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Requirements 1

• Russia requires (point 3)
• information is made available to exporters of
  plant products, including the Russian
  requirements that for plant products exported to
  RF information should be available on pesticides
  used during the production and storage and data
  of the last treatment

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Requirements 2 (point 6)

• In the case the Russian side discovers repeated
  occasions where consignments of a plant products
  of EC origin of a certain type and of certain
  origin do not meet the safety criteria laid down
  in Russian legislation and in paragraph 4 for
  pesticides residues, nitrates and nitrites, the
  Russian side may take appropriate measures,
  including a requirement that each shipment of the
  relevant plant products exported to RF from EC MS
  should be accompanied by a safety certificate and
  a test report concerning the relevant safety
  criteria on pesticide residues, nitrates and
  nitrites for the relevant plant products as laid
  down in the Russian legislation

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Requirements 3

• The safety certificate will be issued by the
  approved governmental or private laboratories
  which may be audited by the Russian side
• In the case where the approval of the said
  activities of the laboratory is no longer valid
  the Russian side may no longer accept safety
  certificates issued by the lab.-

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SUMMARY

• SPPS has to have the name and address of a local
  exporters agent or shipper in case where an
  international company with a foreign address is
  the exporter (offshore companies)!
• The consignment should be inspected only when it
  is ready to be loaded to transport!
• The consignment should be in conformity with
  declaration on the certificate (box 10)!
• Certified consignment should be kept separately
  until the loading!
• The PC should be filled in as accurate as
  possible no empty boxes!

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The last but not least

• The information on the requirements of importing
  countries must be as up to date as possible!
• The contacts and cooperation with importing
  countries must be maintained!
• Notifications must be studied and measures must
  be taken!

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Thank you for your attention!
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Describe procedure of

• 1. Export inspection of plants and plant products
  originated in Your country
• 2. Export inspection of plants and plant products
  originated in other MS
• 3. Re-export inspection of plants and plant
  products originated in the third country