Import Controls
Under EU legislation, certain food and feed commodities imported into the EU may pose additional risks within the food chain. To maintain the integrity of the agri-food chain in the EU, various important checks and systems have been established.
Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls provides for specific measures requiring temporary increases of official controls on the importation into the EU of certain commodities.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 (as amended) lists commodities of non-animal origin that are subject to import controls. The annexes to this regulation are reviewed or updated on a regular basis, not exceeding a period of six months. Changes can involve the addition or removal of commodities, and adjustments to the frequency of physical checks such as sampling and analysis.
For commodities listed in the current implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/286 of 16 January 2024 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, entry into the country is restricted to designated Border Control Post (BCPs) such as Dublin Port, Dublin Airport or Rosslare Port.
The operator responsible for the consignment must provide prior notification to the relevant border control post at least one working day before the expected arrival of the consignment.
For commodities with associated risk related to pesticide residue contamination, it is necessary for the importer or their agent to create Part 1 of Common Health Entry Document D (CHED-D) in TRACES NT. All the required documentation for each consignment must be submitted to the DAFM Imports Portal at least one working day before the estimated date of arrival.
According to Article 50 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, original official certificates must be presented on entry to the competent authority of the border control post (BCP) upon entry.
It is compulsory for all commodities listed in Annex II and subject to official controls to be accompanied by an original official certificate and presented at a designated BCP.
Annex II, specifically table 1, lists certain products of non-animal origin from specific countries outside EU. For these commodities, in addition to pre-notification on CHED-D (Common Health Entry Document), it is required to be accompanied by an official certificate and an analytical report stating the results of analysis for pesticide residues/pentachlorophenol and dioxins (as appropriate).
According to the amending legislation’s Annex II (a), the importation of certain food of non-animal origin from certain third countries into the EU is prohibited.
Physical checks, including sampling and analysis, will be conducted on selected consignments at frequencies specified in Annex I and II of Regulation 2019/1793 (as amended). Consignments chosen for these checks cannot be released for free circulation until the results are available, confirming compliance with pesticide residue legislation.
To import any of the commodities listed in Regulation (EU) 2024/286, registration with DAFM is mandatory. You can easily register by using the Department's online registration form.
For any queries on completing the registration process, contact BrexitRegistration@agriculture.gov.ie
Please email pcs_icon@agriculture.gov.ie is you wish to contact the Pesticide Controls Division.