Europe: Plant passport requirement expanded
The requirement to have a plant passport will apply to all 'plants intended for planting out'. According to the EU definition, these are plants that can produce mature plants and are meant to do so. These plants must be planted out, replanted or remain planted. Everything that we now call cultivation material falls under this definition (thus also seeds), as well as all pot, bedding and container plants 'for consumption'.
What does it mean for you?
All growers of pot, bedding and container plants will be subject to the plant passport requirement, including the trade companies that handle these products (for trade within the EU). This means that all companies will be given one plant health registration number, which must be specified on the plant passport.
Naktuinbouw [Netherlands Inspection Service for Horticulture] has records of 3,000 registered companies. Some 2,300 of them issue plant passports themselves on the basis of an authorisation regime. The new legislation will force all companies to work with plant passports. For example, companies with buxus, conifers and roses.
When will you receive more information?
In the summer of 2018, more information will be available about registering and the registration number. It will become clear where companies will have to register and which inspection service they will be dealing with. All companies will then receive a new registration number, including the companies that are already registered with an inspection service.
Source: Royal FloraHolland