Eurostar, do you know the rules on taking flowers and plants into the UK from paris ?

Question

thanks, i looked on the site, but couldnt see anything, but didnt want to buy a beautiful bouquet to be told i had to leave it there!

Answer 1

According to the government link below, you generally need a licence.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPorta...

Answer 2

Hi these is some info I got, was not easy since most list refferred to certain plants, but no especifics. At the link below, double click it, you will find a page with info on the products you can/cant bring to the UK:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/illegali...

Go to question 34 and 35 on plants and fruit imports and then double within the answer you will see an active link that when clicked it downloads / opens the following pdf archiveon Q34 / Q35:

table of concessions for plants and plant produce and products.

In case you dont have Acrobat to open a pdf file I pasted the list however since there where tables with formattedcontent  it looks quite confussing so its much better if you can go to the site and get /download/ or open and read the document in question.

Q34. Are there any restrictions on bringing back plants for personal use?

Q35. Are there any restrictions on bringing in fruit and vegetables for personal use?

* The European Commission has advised that whilst the entire island of Cyprus joined the EU on 1 May 2004, as the situation stands at present, the application of the EU acquis shall be suspended in those areas of Cyprus in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control. Therefore goods from those areas continue to be treated as a non-EU import.

PLANT HEALTH CONTROLS ON PERSONAL IMPORTS OF PLANTS AND PLANT PRODUCE AND PRODUCTS The following is intended as a summary of plant health controls as they apply to plants and plant produce and products imported in travellers' personal baggage. For more information and guidance on plant health controls in general please refer to the Defra booklet ' The Plant Health Guide for Importers' or contact Defra's Plant Health Service Delivery Unit: From 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail] From 5pm to 8am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] The Plant Health (England) Order 2005 and the Plant Health (Forestry) (Great Britain) Order 2005 impose restrictions on the import of trees, plants and plant produce and products, including non-manufactured articles of wood, into England in order to safeguard plant health. Similar legislation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Broadly speaking material falls into one of the following categories, according to the risk of introduction of pests and diseases: • Unrestricted: Present little or no risk and are not subject to plant health controls. Includes nearly all flower seeds, some cut flowers and most vegetables for eating (except potatoes). • Controlled: Normally require a phytosanitary certificate issued by the plant protection service of the exporting country. Includes those rooted plants that are not prohibited, trees without roots (e.g. Christmas trees) most fruits, tomato and sunflower seeds and some cut flowers. • Prohibited: Pose such a serious risk that import only permitted under authority of a licence issued by Defra or the Forestry Commissioners. Includes many species of rooted plants and trees from outside Europe. Baggage concession (Not applicable to postal imports) Small quantities of controlled material may be imported without phytosanitary certificates providing they are: • in personal baggage, • intended for household use and not intended for use in the course of trade or business, • free from signs of pests and diseases. Providing these conditions are satisfied controlled plants and/or plant products and/or produce may be imported without a phytosanitary certificate by each traveller up to the limits set out below: From non-EU countries in the Euro-Mediterranean area • five plants and • five tree seedlings, except in bonsai form, and • 2kg of bulbs, corms, tubers (but not potatoes) and rhizomes and • 2kg of fruit and vegetables, and • 2kg of Castanea (chestnuts), intended for human consumption, and • cut flowers and any parts of plants together forming a single bouquet (maximum of 50 stems), and • a single spray or wreath of parts of trees including dried cones, leaves and branches for decoration or one cut coniferous tree less than 3 meters in height, and • five retail packets of seeds (but not seeds of potatoes), and • five non-manufactured pieces of wood, without bark, up to 1 metre in length.

From all other non-EU countries • 2kg of fruit and vegetables, and • cut flowers and any parts of plants together forming a single bouquet (maximum of 50 stems), and • five retail packets of seeds (but not seeds of potatoes).

Import guidance for HCME web version.doc

PLANT HEALTH BAGGAGE CONCESSION Category From EU countries(1) From Non-EU European countries(2) From Euro-Med countries(3) From other countries Plants - citrus & vine Unrestricted Prohibited or Controlled Prohibited or

Controlled Prohibited or Controlled Plants - other Unrestricted 5 plants with or without soil 5 plants with or without soil Prohibited or Controlled Tree seedlings

Unrestricted 5 seedlings with or without soil 5 seedlings with or without soil Prohibited or Controlled Soil - in association with plants Unrestricted 5 plants/seedlings 5 plants/seedlings

Prohibited or Controlled Soil - loose Unrestricted Prohibited or Controlled Prohibited or Controlled Prohibited or

Controlled Fruit - apple, apricot, blackcurrant, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, custard apple, date plum, gooseberry, guava, jambolan, mango, passion fruit, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, quince, redcurrant and rose apple

Unrestricted Unrestricted 2kg 2kg Fruit - citrus & kumquat

Unrestricted 2kg 2kg 2kg Fruit - other than above

Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Vegetables - aubergine, bitter cucumber, bitter gourd, celeriac, celery & sweet basil Unrestricted 2kg 2kg 2kg Vegetables - other Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted

Unrestricted Chestnuts - for human consumption Unrestricted 2kg 2kg Prohibited or Controlled Seeds Unrestricted 5 retail packets (but certain seeds unrestricted – see Plant Health Guide for Importers) 5 retail packets (but certain seeds unrestricted - see Plant Health Guide for Importers) 5 retail packets (but certain seeds unrestricted - see Plant Health Guide for Importers)

I

mport guidance for HCME web version.doc

Category From EU countries(1) From Non-EU European countries(2) From Euro-Med countries(3) From other countries Cut flowers and foliage Unrestricted 1 bouquet (but certain cut flowers and parts of plants unrestricted – see Plant Health Guide for Importers) I bouquet (but certain foliage excluded from concession and certain cut flowers and parts of plants unrestricted - see Plant Health Guide for Importers) I bouquet (but certain foliage excluded from concession and certain cut flowers and parts of plants unrestricted - see Plant Health Guide for Importers) Bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes Unrestricted 2kg (potatoes excluded) 2kg (potatoes excluded) Prohibited or Controlled Parts of trees for decoration Unrestricted 1 spray or 1 wreath or 1 tree 1 spray or 1 wreath or 1 tree Prohibited or Controlled Non-manufactured pieces of wood, without bark, neither planed or sanded or finished with paint, stain or preservative Unrestricted 5 pieces 5 pieces Prohibited or Controlled Manufactured articles of wood, e.g. statues, wood carvings etc., with or without bark, either planed or sanded or finished with paint, stain or preservative Unrestricted

Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted (1) EU countries are: Austria, Belgium, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira), Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (excluding Canary Islands), Sweden and UK. Andorra, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, San Marino and Switzerland are also treated as part of the EU for the import of plants and plant products. (2) Non-EU European countries are: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Republic of Moldovia, Norway, Romania, Russian Federation (excluding the regions of Buryat, Yakut, Tuva, the Altai, Khabarovsk, Drasnoyarsk and Maritime Krais, and the Amur, Chita, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Kemerovo, Kurgan, Magadan, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Sakhalin, Tomsk and Tyumen Oblasts), Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine and Yugoslavia. (3) Euro-Mediterranean countries are: Europe, Algeria, Ceuta, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamrahiriya, Melilla, Morocco, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey.

Import guidance for HCME web version.doc

Hope it helped

S