Explanatory note

These Regulations, which come into force on 7th March 2005, revoke the Potatoes Originating in the Netherlands Regulations 1997 (“the 1997 Regulations”) (S.I. 1997/2441) and the Potatoes Originating in the Netherlands (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (“the 1998 Regulations”) (S.I. 1998/3168) insofar as they apply to England.

The 1997 Regulations required any person intending to import potatoes originating in the Netherlands and grown in 1997 to give notification of that intention, to include specified information, and provided plant health inspectors with powers to check compliance with and enforce the Regulations. They also prescribed a fee where a sample of seed potatoes was taken in exercise of those powers for the purpose of ascertaining whether the potatoes were infected with Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) Smith. The 1998 Regulations amended the earlier Regulations to apply them to potatoes grown in 1998 and amended the fee for sampling potatoes. These Regulations are now of no practical effect as potatoes originating in the Netherlands and grown in 1998 are no longer traded.

No regulatory impact assessment has been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of business.