The plant passport is part of new plant health regulations that will come into force on 14 December 2019. When harmful organisms are discovered, the plant passport can ensure rapid trace-back of a plant’s origin. These new regulations affect the entire sector. What does this mean for your company?
1. Registration
Every company, including interior landscapers, florists, garden centres, horticulturalists and webshops, must register with the national inspection service and will receive a unique registration number.
2. Plant passport
A plant passport is required in order to trade. For example, when growers deliver to wholesalers, but also when wholesalers deliver to interior landscapers. A plant passport is not required when delivering directly to end users, unless the plants are sold ‘remotely’, for example via the Internet. The plant passport is applied to the smallest trade unit, such as a pot or a tray.
3. Record-keeping requirement
You do not have to keep the plant passport but the information it contains must be kept in your records in connection with traceability, so that the origin of the plant and where it has been sent to is known. These records must be kept for a period of 3 years.
What does the plant passport look like?
The plant passport comes in various formats but it always contains the following fixed elements:
Top left the European flag and top right the text ‘Plant Passport’
A: The botanical name
B: The registration number of the person who applied the plant passport
C: The traceability code (not compulsory)
D: The country of origin/production
Nieuwkoop Europe’s plant passport looks as follows: The first plants with a plant passport have meanwhile been delivered to our customers.