Certification Logistics Pilot: import requirements

This guidance is for businesses participating in the Certification Logistics Pilot, which is a module of the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme.

The Certification Logistics Pilot simplifies the certification process for packaged animal products that move from a consolidation hub in the EU to Great Britain.

Participants can import eligible products using an export health certificate (EHC) from the point of origin of the goods (such as a manufacturing site). They do not need to get the goods re-certified at an EU consolidation hub.

The following businesses are participating in the pilot:

• DFDS Logistics Limited
• ECS European Containers
• Lidl UK Trading Ltd
• Nagel Group Ltd
• Stef Langdons Ltd

If participating businesses do not follow these rules they may be unable to stay in the pilot.

Eligible goods

This pilot is only for medium-risk products of animal origin for human consumption and medium-risk animal by-products. They must be packaged and certified in the EU.

The pilot excludes high risk POAO and ABP. Check the animal product risk categories.

Document requirements

For eligible goods you must:

• use an EHC from the point of origin of the goods (rather than the point of dispatch)
• add the trusted trader declaration and your trusted trader reference number to your import notification on IPAFFS

The point of origin is the final manufacturing or processing site. The EHC must be accompanied by additional information specific to the pilot.

Trusted trader declaration

The trusted trader declaration is provided by Defra directly to participants. It must contain:

• unit-level identifiers to identify the goods that are included on the EHC and are travelling on a particular load to Great Britain
• relevant consignee details
• a declaration that you have ensured the safety and security of the goods during their end to end journey

Health certificates

The health certificate requirements for goods imported under the pilot are similar to existing requirements. They must include some additional information from the certifying officer.

Consolidation hub requirements

Consolidation hub used in the pilot must be:

• listed as approved establishments to export animals and animal products to Great Britain
• registered or approved by the competent authority of the country it is in

The UK-based part of your business must take responsibility for the EU-based consolidation hubs involved in the goods’ journey to Great Britain.

Supply chain assurance and traceability requirements

You must write and implement standard operating procedures. The supply chain must allow for products to be easily identified and traced.

Your systems and procedures must allow for:

• products to be traced from the place they were originally processed or manufactured to their intended destination
• consignments and products to be verified at arrival
• products to be rejected, withdrawn, or recalled during intake, storage and dispatch

You must keep records that show you conduct internal audits to check you comply with the requirements of the pilot.

Food safety management requirements

You must:

• follow hazard analysis and critical control point procedures
• maintain legal temperature controls throughout the process from intake to dispatch for all products and rooms - this includes marshalling areas, as well as chillers and freezers
• have processes to distinguish between products which are eligible for CLP and products which are not, during storage

Products which are intended for sale in Great Britain must be hygienically stored in dedicated areas.

The design and layout of the facilities must allow for good food hygiene practices and protect against contamination.

You must keep:

• records which show your procedures and staff are effective and competent
• evidence that staff are trained and supervised

Guidance for certifying officers

Certifying officer should complete a health certificate as normal, except for information about the:

• consignee or importer (usually box I.5)
• place of destination (usually box I.12)
• means of transport (usually box I.15)
• border control posts (BCPs) (usually box I.16)

Consignee and place of destination

For the consignee box you should provide one of the following:

• the EU consolidation hub from where the goods will be dispatched directly to Great Britain
• the consolidation hub (if destination is not known at the time of certification)
• the actual destination of first unloading when the goods arrive to Great Britain

For place of destination, include the details of the representative of the CLP participant in the UK.

The actual consignees and place of destination must then be provided by the CLP participant in a separate document, the trusted trader declaration, and in the IPAFFS notification for the goods before they move from the consolidation hub to Great Britain.

Standard certification is an optional field.

Means of transport

In the means of transport box, write one of the following:

• the means of transport in which the goods departed the establishment of manufacture, where the EHC was signed
• ‘groupage’

You do not need to include the final means of transport to Great Britain.

Border control posts (BCPs)

You should include the border control post (BCP) (usually box I.16) where the goods will enter Great Britain, if known.

If this is not known at the time of certification, provide the BCP that the importer thinks is most likely. If you are using Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), select country and then United Kingdom.

The actual BCP must be provided in the IPAFFS notification, before the goods move to Great Britain from the consolidation hub.

Complete the rest of the EHC as normal

You should complete the rest of the EHC as normal, as if the goods were moving directly from the point of certification to Great Britain.

Complete the country of origin (usually box I.7) in line with existing guidance. Enter the country where the goods were produced, manufactured or packaged.

Complete the place of loading (usually box I.13) to identify the place where the goods are loaded into their means of transportation to the consolidation hub. This is the place where the goods are being certified.

Do not list the consolidation hub which will be the place of final dispatch to Great Britain for goods moved under CLP. This information will be provided by the CLP participant in the common health entry document (CHED) before the goods move to Great Britain from the consolidation hub.

Complete the date and time of departure (usually box I.14) and means of transport (usually box I.15) in line with existing guidance. Provide the means of transport and date of departure of the goods as they depart the place where they are being certified.

Requirement

Using to add unit-level identifiers to(ULI) healthfor certificates

split consignments

YouIf the CLP participant intends to split a certified consignment at the distribution hub, they must addarrange for the required unit-level identifiers (ULI) to healthbe certificates forincluded consignments in the pilot.health certification. 

ForOfficial example,Veterinarians a(OVs) listshould verify the application and use of uniquethis identifiersULI recordingon allthe units of the pallets,consignment. boxesThey orare containersrequired ofto goodscertify certifiedthis underin that EHC.the same way as establishing compliance for other aspects of the certification.    

The importerThe mustCLP useparticipant theseuses identifiersthe laterULIs to identifydeclare and record which units from the health certificate arecertified consignment are moving ininto anyGreat particularBritain load(GB). The GB competent authority uses these ULIs to Greattrace Britain.and check parts of the certified consignment and that the imported goods are certified as compliant with GB import requirements.  

The exact nature and format of the identifiersULI is up to the importerthe CLP participant and their suppliers. Theysuppliers but must usuallybe unique. They must be providedapplied at the level that the goods will be divided at the consolidationdistribution hub. For example, palletpallet-level identifiersULIs, if the goods will be divided at pallet level, or boxbox-level identifiers if the goods are to be divided at boxa boxed level.

Consignments canThe onlyULI must be dividedreadable atwithout damaging the consolidationwrapping hubor atpackaging theand levelmust ofbe affixed to the unit-levelunit identifiersof used.choice.  

Adding unit-level identifiers to the certificate

YouUnit-level shouldidentifiers incorporatemust unit-levelbe identifiersrecorded intoin the the EHC under in ‘containerthe no.’field (boxfor I.19)‘Container No.’ with the prefix “CLP‘CLM UL’ ULI” followed by the ULI number.

This is required even if there are also container numbers to be recorded. In this case we suggest that container numbers are recorded first, followed by the CLM ULI numbers, each entry on a new line.  

Adding schedules to certificates  

If all of the identifiers cannotfor allcontainers and ULIs cannot be inserted,inserted as ‘Container No’, a schedule to the the EHC should should be createdcreated, withcross thereferenced fulland list.added as an official schedule to the certificate.    

For electronic EHCselectronic certification, hosted and verifiable in TRACES, NT, where a verifiable PDF PDF EHC will copy will accompany the consignment, the schedule should be uploaded in accompanying‘Accompanying documentsDocuments’ (usually box I.17).

Please note that a separate document cannot be added to the certificate as paginated pages. It must therefore be printed, signed in ink, and stamped with an official stamp prior to uploading as an additional document to the certificate.   

Competent authorities should not expect a formal GB template for this purpose. They should treat the information contained in the additional document as if it were an official schedule to the certificate. They are expected to certify the ULI information contained therein in the same way as if it was information entered directly into ‘Container No’ of Part I of the certificate.  

Verifiable PDF certificates for imports of products of animal origin from the the EU and  and EFTA countries countries will be accepted from from TRACES. NT. Check the list of of countries Great Britain will accept validated PDF GB health certificates from.

For both electronic and physical EHCs, you should:

• prepare the schedule according to existing guidance for schedules to EHCs
• include the EHC reference number on each page along with stamp and signatures as appropriate