Have you heard? Border inspections are potentially reduced – but does it change anything?
You may have read that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has reduced its inspection levels on four cut flower species that are imported from the EU.
We wanted to share a bit more information for those who are curious.
What's Changing and What Flowers are Affected?
A Brief History
Back in April 2024, the UK Government started their inspections of imported ‘medium risk’ plants and flowers at a designated ‘control point’.
These import health controls are made up of physical, documentary, and identity checks for medium risk plants and flowers that enter the UK from the EU.
And Now
From 00:01 on 19th January 2026, four of the five species of flowers classified as ‘medium risk’ benefited from a reduction in the rate of their border inspections. The rate of these inspections was reduced from 3% to 1%.
These flowers are:
- Orchidaceae – Orchids
- Dianthus – Carnations, Sweet williams, Dianthus
- Gypsophila
- Solidago
The fifth flower (that remains unchanged):
- Dendranthema – Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums currently remain unchanged with an inspection rate of 3%. However, it’s not that Chrysanths failed to get the green light entirely, as was stated in the official Defra statement: “The case for chrysanthemum was less clear, and the review of this species is ongoing.” So we’ll be watching this space closely to see what transpires from their review.
How Will it Affect Florists?
In short – it won’t!
As we explained when the inspections began; we take care of everything related to imports on your behalf and these changes are improvements. The most significant change we had to make – that you’ll be used to by now, nearly two years on – was adding an extra day to your ordering of plants from Holland. As always this information is really clear on our Buying Time webpage (or when buying in the webshop).
Your Questions Answered
If you have heard about these changes through other articles or on social media, you may have some more questions, which we’ll aim to cover below.
IS THIS GOOD NEWS
Don’t get us wrong, it’s definately good news. We welcome the fact that DEFRA are listening to the industry, and this is certainly a very positive step. It’s also very encouraging for the future, but at Westflor, we believe further easement is required before we see any meaningful impact.
HOW DID THE CHANGES COME ABOUT?
As our friends at the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) explain, it’s been “achieved through the submission of detailed technical evidence by FPC and supported by sustained, constructive engagement with Defra officials. It reinforces the value of the UK’s dynamic, risk-based approach to biosecurity, grounded in strong compliance data and real-world trade performance.”
WILL WE SEE PRICES COME DOWN AS A RESULT?
Costs will be reduced but we need to manage your expectations. In real terms there may be 1p or 2p off a stem – and we will, of course, pass on these savings (we appreciate every penny counts) but please don’t expect to see big price cuts.
A fuller explanation of why this is the case:
The specialist transport that brings over all our flowers from Holland is known as a ‘consignment’. This truck is always filled with many flowers and foliages, etc., including Dianthus, Gypsophila, Orchids, Solidago, and Chrysanthemum.
Our partners in Holland arrange the necessary required pre-notification document (CHED PP – Common Health Entry Document – Plants and Plant Products) for each consignment/truck
Each consignment then has:
- 5 x Common user charge fees (all at a Medium-risk A. rate. As DEFRA charges the importer at the rate of the highest risk category present (the the entire consignment). The maximum charge for one CHED per consignment is limited to 5 commodity lines, even if there are more than 5 commodity lines present in the CHED.
In addition to these charges there are also the Risk-based check Charges which include:
- Documentary check fees
- ID check fees
- Physical inspection fees*
All these charges are applied regardless of whether they are inspected or not.
Other Fees
There are also other potential charges applied when a truck/consignment is chosen for a physical inspection, also if an inspector suspects that a consignement is infected and takes a sample for laboratory testing there is a considerable fee for each sample tested.
*This recent change has brought down the health inspection rates and fees of Dianthus, Gypsophila, Orchids, and Solidago to a 1% (with Chrysanthemum remaining at a 3% inspection rate and fee). However, it does not bring down all the other charges.
OTHER INDUSTRY EXPERTS VIEWS
As we suggested, there has been floristry press coverage regarding this change, including an article where leading suppliers, including Dave – Westflor Manager, were asked for their opinion on these changes. You can read what everyone said here.
The BFA, along with the FPC, were also instrumental in these changes; their article can be read here.
Final Thoughts
Perhaps you heard about this, perhaps you didn’t – we certainly think when buying from Westflor you can be entirely unaware of all the customs formalities, plant passports, and import related paperwork – and that’s just how it should be. We know you’re busy enough and need to focus on running your own businesses, without being concerned about import inspections, this is the last thing you should be thinking about.
We work closely with our colleagues in Holland and the specialist transport companies that bring our flowers over the border, so our usual efficient supply chain remains just that, wherever possible we continue to do all we can to prevent any inspection process delays.
We’ll continue to keep abreast of any changes there may be too. As Defra’s risk assessments are ongoing there may be changes to the risk categories moving forward and we’ll let you know when the review on Chrysanthemum is concluded.
We hope we’ve fully explained the situation, however, if you do have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch in the usual ways – as always we’re here for you, and will always make your buying as simple and rewarding as possible.
We at Westflor have all the information that is currently available and have worked hard to manage all the changes that have taken place to ensure you are affected as little as possible. We know you’re busy enough with running your own businesses and don’t need to be concerned about custom formalities, plant passports or border inspections. However, we want you to know how it will affect you.
