§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the International Plant Protection Convention applies to member states of the European Community as separate countries: and whether each may therefore adopt its own rules regarding, for example, inspection, prohibition on importation and treatment. [HL2064]
§ Lord WhittyThe International Plant Protection Convention applies to individual countries. For different issues there is agreement between the European Commission and member states on which has responsibility. For imports, European Community plant health legislation lays down requirements on inspection and restrictions; this legislation must be respected by all member states. Import restrictions vary from prohibition of some products, such as seed potatoes from most origins, to requirements for freedom of consignments from specified pests and diseases. In some cases the detailed requirements designed to ensure that consignments are free from pests and diseases include a requirement for treatment.