Professional Information International Departement

News and information for the 2021 Season (Reminder and changes for season preparation and COI)

Good day

Firstly, the international team at bio.inspecta would like to wish all of you a successful and healthy year; we hope to continue the positive and successful cooperation in the new season same as the previous years.

In order to keep you up to date for the changes and new procedures in 2021, regular newsletter will be published and with the first newsletter 2021, we would like to inform you about following important topics:

1. Season preparation 2021
2. Important changes/reminder for COI
• General requirements
• Export to UK after Brexit
• Export to US
3. Increased Control measures of the EU for import from certain countries

1. Season preparation 2021:

• The offer/invoice for prepayment 2021 will be sent by bio.inspecta until mid. February.
• The updated data sheet and OSP will be sent by bio.inspecta until mid. February.
• The deadline for submission of the filled/updated data sheet and OSP is April 1st, 2021.
• The deadline for pre-payment is end of March 2021.

2. Important changes/reminder for COI

Imports of organic products to the EU or Switzerland need to be accompanied by a Certificate of Inspection (COI).

For each consignment, one COI is required. COIs are issued in the EU online tool Traces and endorsed by electronic signature.

The COI must be issued before the consignment leaves the country of export or origin.

• General requirements:

For all requests, the Request form 24_054, should be submitted with the following annexes:
- Sales invoice
- Delivery note/ bill of lading (outgoing goods)
- Seal list (if applicable)
- Additionally, for exports to the EU, Switzerland, and UK of products with certain CN-Codes* originating from Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine sampling is required. Sampling explicitly is required to be done by the certification body (or by an independent third-party surveyor contracted by the certification body respectively), not by the operator. The samples must be analysed and assessed prior to issuing the requested COI (depending on the products on different pesticide scopes and GMO). The sampling needs to be done at the place in the country where the last handling (e.g. packing of big bags, loading of bulk) takes place. It needs to be done during or immediately before loading, in order to eliminate the risk of contamination after sampling. For each sales lot, one sampling is needed (find the request for sampling on our webpage, Request for Export Consignment Sampling )

• Export to UK after Brexit

The same COI procedure is valid for exports to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), but COIs are not issued in Traces, and a stamped and signed paper version is required and the additional control measures for the products originated Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine must be followed.

• Export to US

For organic imports to the US, there is no general requirement for COIs in the NOP. However, some importers may request it as a quality assurance tool. Further, the NOP requires it for certain products from certain countries.

Additionally, for exports to the US of grain, oil seeds, and products of these (like sunflower meal) from Armenia, Bulgaria ,Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, or Ukraine Sampling explicitly is required (find the request for sampling on our webpage, Request for Export Consignment Sampling )

For more information please see our website.

3. Increased Control measures of the EU for import from certain countries

Until the end of the year 2021 at least the following increased control measures as regards products with certain CN codes* originating from Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine, and imported from one of these countries or from another third country are necessary to ensure compliance of products with Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. In order to provide sufficient time to put the necessary procedures in place, these guidelines should be applied for Turkey at the latest from 1 March 2021.

Increased Control measures:

• Export consignment sampling for issuance of the COI.
• At least 2 physical inspections per year, one of these should be unannounced.
• First inspection before the crop is sown for the farm that is certified for first time.
• At least one sample per year (for producers, it is compulsory to be a field crop sample). This requirement is without prejudice to the export consignment sampling.
• Increased control on the bookkeeping, traceability, and flow of products.
• Increased control on means of transport and storages.

*Concerned CN codes:
a. Chapter 10 – cereals
b. Chapter 11 – Products of the milling industry; malt, starches; inulin, wheat gluten. The following CN-codes are excluded: 1105, 1106, 1107, 1108, 1109
c. Chapter 12 – Oil seeds and oleaginous fruit; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder, with the exception of processed products ready for human consumption derived from them. The following CN codes are excluded: CN codes 1211, 1212, 1213, 1214
d. Chapter 23 – Residues and waste from the food industries, prepared animal fodder. The following CN code is excluded: CN code 2307

bio.inspecta International team is available to support you in any step; please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

Kind regards

bio.inspecta AG

Farzaneh Mahdipour and international team
Head of International Services Division

Mobile: +44 7539 455092
Phone: +41 62 865 63 42
farzaneh.mahdipour@bio-inspecta.ch

www.bio-inspecta.ch