Inspections
Fresh and veterinary products only enter the EU after pre-notification and inspection. TRACES-NT, the CHED and the NVWA set the pace, and a missed notification costs a day of shelf life. These terms explain the inspection chain.
- CHEDCHED is the Common Health Entry Document, the EU health document at entry that you notify in TRACES-NT. In Dutch the same document is called GGB, gemeenschappelijk gezondheidsdocument bij binnenkomst.
- GGBGGB is the Dutch name of the common health entry document. In EU terms and in TRACES-NT the same document is called CHED. It is not a second form next to the CHED.
- Phytosanitary certificateA phytosanitary certificate is the statement of the plant protection service of the exporting country that a consignment of plants or plant products is free of quarantine organisms. The original travels with the goods and has to match the CHED-PP literally.
- Plant passportA plant passport is the EU document for the movement of certain plants and plant material inside the Union. It does not replace the phytosanitary certificate on import from a third country.
- TRACESTRACES-NT is the EU system in which you notify consignments of animals, products of animal origin, plants and certain foods before they enter the Union. In the Netherlands the NVWA is the competent authority behind that counter.
Frequently asked questions about inspections
When does a consignment have to be inspected?
A consignment has to be inspected when the product falls under veterinary, phytosanitary or food legislation. That follows from the goods code: the DTV then shows a prohibition or restriction with the corresponding inspection authority.
What is a CHED and which types are there?
A CHED is the common health entry document that you pre-notify in TRACES-NT before the consignment enters the EU. CHED-A applies to live animals, CHED-P to products of animal origin, CHED-D to food of non-animal origin and CHED-PP to plants.
How far in advance do you have to notify the NVWA?
For veterinary consignments you notify in TRACES-NT as a rule no later than one working day before arrival. For fresh product that is tight, and a late notification means waiting for the next inspection slot.
What is a phytosanitary certificate?
A phytosanitary certificate is a declaration from the plant protection service of the country of export that the consignment is free from quarantine organisms. The original has to travel with the goods and the data has to match the CHED-PP exactly.
What happens when an inspection is failed?
On rejection the consignment gets a measure: return, destruction or in some cases a treatment. The costs are for the declarant or the interested party, and with fresh product the lot is often already lost by that point.