@nsno-chris knows a fair bit about this. Not sure how accurate this is
Cheers Jim, just got round to listening to this. He’s wrong (but also correct) with what he said, because he hasn’t separated EU from non-EU. Couple of takes:
Computer systems - EU uses TRACES to monitor all SPS imports, we lost access to this but developed our own system called IPAFFS. It’s a project that I was involved with (process mapping the flow, beta testing etc)- and it’s actually a lot simpler to use than TRACES. There’s some elements which are missing, but nothing crucial. However, we have lost access to something called Rapid Alert system, and we have FSA (I think, maybe DEFRA) who monitor these notifications and inform ports (rather than the system doing it automatically)
Rotterdam statement - totally incorrect, every Border Control Post performs checks on food. Once it’s received clearance it can then move freely without any checks.
The U.K. still performs checks on food from outside the EU; but only stuff which has been directly imported. I think this is we’re the caller has got the statement wrong but the premise correct.
If something goes from India, into Hamburg on one vessel, then is put on another vessel to the U.K., this is the where the potential evasion is - simply because the shipping manifest states that the vessel has come from an EU port and therefore we are unable to identify the true nature of the “origin” of the consignment. The government, and I argued with them over this exact point, told us during a meeting that the “importer” would be honest and declare the goods to the Border Control Post. We knew they wouldn’t because there’d be extra charges levied against them or they could use this loophole as a seat of flooding our markets with crap.
We also simply can’t stop these “EU” containers because we’d disrupt the entire supply chain. Not all containers are manifested correctly, so “Meat” could be manifested as “personal goods”, it depends on what the shipping line enters. The importer would also need to make a submission via IPAFFS; but they know it won’t be identified.
There’s a very very simple way for us to identify these containers and start closing this loophole, but the information is held by Border Force and, this is unbelievable, they won’t share the information. We’ve been trying for 5 years, it’s gone to minster level and they’re still saying no.
So, in conclusion, yes we’re still doing checks but there’s a MASSIVE loophole which is getting exploited as correctly mentioned by the caller.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
