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<p>Defra officials have been looking at a wide range or measures to make the import
of plants and trees as efficient as possible, without compromising our high biosecurity
standards. There is regular dialogue between our plant health services and those of
our key trading partners in the EU, including on e-certification most recently, which
will streamline the exchange of phytosanitary certificates for the benefit of businesses
and regulators alike.</p><p> </p><p>As to checks at point of embarkation, there are
legal limitations with locating GB officials in a different jurisdiction to perform
statutory functions, and whilst internationally there are precedents for locating
inspectors in other countries, these staff typically perform an audit and assurance
role rather than performing pre-import checks. Consequently, we are not actively pursuing
this option with trading partners now, but Defra officials will continue to work with
stakeholder organisations and those that import regulated plants and plant products
from the EU to ensure GB plant health controls work as effectively and efficiently
as possible.</p>
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