Article 3 Border control post infrastructure
United Kingdom
Border control posts designated for the categories of animals and goods referred to in Article 47(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 shall have the following facilities:
areas or rooms where animals and goods are to be unloaded. Such areas must be covered by a roof, except in the cases referred to in paragraph 4;
inspection rooms or inspection areas with a supply of hot and cold running water and facilities for washing and drying hands;
housing areas or housing rooms for animals and storage areas or storage rooms, including rooms for cold storage where this is appropriate to the category of goods for which the border control post has been designated; and
access to toilets supplied with facilities for washing and drying hands.
The rooms referred to in paragraph 1 shall be fitted with walls, floors and ceilings that are easy to clean and disinfect, adequate drainage and adequate natural or artificial light.
The areas referred to in paragraph 1 shall be easy to clean, have adequate drainage and adequate natural or artificial light.
The requirement for the unloading areas to be covered by a roof provided for in paragraph 1(a) shall not apply in the following cases:
non-containerised consignments of fishery products for human consumption;
consignments of animal by-products consisting of wool, bulk processed animal protein, loose manure or guano; F1...
large plants and plant products and other large objects.
The facilities referred to in paragraph 1(a) and (b) shall not be required for the performance of official controls and other official activities on bulk liquids of animal origin and non-animal origin.
F4The competent authority may exempt border control posts, which have been designated for the categories of goods referred in Article 47(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, from the following requirements:
to have a supply of hot and cold running water and facilities for washing and drying hands as referred to in paragraph 1(b); and
to have rooms with ceilings that are easy to disinfect as referred to in paragraph 2.
The facilities referred to in paragraph 1(a), (b) and (c) shall not be shared with the other categories of goods referred to in Article 47(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 when used for products of animal origin and composite products.
The facilities referred to in paragraph 1(a), (b) and (c) shall not be shared with food of non-animal origin when used for germinal products and animal by-products.
By way of derogation from the requirements of paragraphs 7 and 8, border control posts may share the facilities referred to in paragraph 1(a), (b) and (c) in the following cases:
border control posts that have been designated for categories of packed goods only; or
border control posts that have been designated for categories of packed goods and unpacked goods, provided that the following conditions are met:
- (i)
the competent authorities conduct a risk assessment of the border control posts demonstrating how the avoidance of cross-contamination can be ensured and they implement the measures identified in the risk assessment for the prevention of such cross-contamination; and
- (ii)
the competent authorities ensure a time separation between the handling of different consignments of unpacked goods and between the handling of consignments of unpacked and packed goods. During the period resulting from the time separation the facilities referred to in paragraph 1(a), (b) and (c) shall be cleaned and disinfected.
Paragraph 9 shall not apply to the facilities referred to in paragraph (1)(c) where those facilities are used for the storage of bulk animal by-products.
The competent authorities of the border control post may permit, under their control, the use of commercial storage facilities for the goods referred to in Article 47(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, provided that those facilities are within the close vicinity of the border control post and are under the competence of the same customs authority.
Such commercial storage facilities may be used to perform identity checks and physical checks on products of non-animal origin, provided that these facilities comply with the minimum requirements laid down in this Regulation.
Goods stored in commercial storage facilities in accordance with paragraph 11 shall be stored under hygienic conditions and be properly identified by barcodes or other electronic means, or labelling. Where the goods may pose a risk to human, animal and plant health, or in the case of GMOs and plant protection products also to the environment, they shall in addition be detained in a separate lockable room or areas fenced off from all other goods stored in the commercial storage facility.
Where the border control post is located at a road, rail, or port location, storage in the means of transport in which the goods were brought to the border control post, may be permitted under the control of the competent authorities.
F5The competent authority shall inform the F6other competent authorities of the constituent territories of the British Islands of any changes in the infrastructure or operation of a border control post, or of an inspection centre within that post, if such changes necessitate an update to the information provided to F7such authorities in accordance with Article 59(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.
The requirements in the second sentence of paragraph 1(a) do not apply to border control posts which are designated for the goods referred to in Article 47(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 in accordance with Article 59(1) of that Regulation and which were constructed before the date of entry into force of this Regulation and which at that date did not have areas or rooms for unloading which are covered by a roof.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
Word in Art. 3(4) omitted (30.1.2025) by virtue of The Official Controls (Plant Health) and Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/13), regs. 1(2), 3(3)(a)
- F2
Art. 3(4)(c) full stop omitted (30.1.2025) by virtue of The Official Controls (Plant Health) and Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/13), regs. 1(2), 3(3)(b)
- F3
Art. 3(4)(d) and word inserted (30.1.2025) by The Official Controls (Plant Health) and Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/13), regs. 1(2), 3(3)(c)
- F4
Words in Art. 3(6) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1631), regs. 1(2), 19(3)(a) (with regs. 33-36)
- F5
Words in Art. 3(14) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1631), regs. 1(2), 19(3)(b)(i) (with regs. 33-36)
- F6
Words in Art. 3(14) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1631), regs. 1(2), 19(3)(b)(ii) (with regs. 33-36)
- F7
Words in Art. 3(14) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1631), regs. 1(2), 19(3)(b)(iii) (with regs. 33-36)
- F8
Art. 3(15) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1631), regs. 1(2), 19(3)(c) (with regs. 33-36)