New European Union phytosanitary requirements for specified plants and plant products arriving from outside the bloc have applied since 15 October 2026. The changes affect importers of certain nursery and fruit-tree planting material, as well as ginger and turmeric roots and plants, and introduce additional declarations on phytosanitary certificates.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) set out the affected commodities and origin conditions in its 31 August guidance to importers. The date marks the application of the new import conditions, not the first announcement of the rules.
Which planting materials are affected?
For ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Curcuma longa), the new conditions cover fresh roots intended for consumption and plants for planting. The NVWA identifies the bacterium Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum as the concern. For the described imports from non-EU countries other than Switzerland, consignments must meet a specified origin or production-site condition. Some options require inspection, sampling and molecular testing before export, with the route used recorded in the certificate’s additional declaration.
Selected woody plants for planting face their own pest-related provisions. Chestnut (Castanea) and oak (Quercus) material is covered by measures concerning Agrilus bilineatus. The authority also identifies Actinidia deliciosa, Annona cherimola and Diospyros kaki in connection with Naupactus xanthographus. Their production and inspection conditions depend on the applicable species and origin.
Other products and the legal timetable
The changes also affect certain citrus fruits originating in Central and South America and the Caribbean, and oak and chestnut wood products from Canada, Türkiye and the United States. These provisions are specific to listed product-origin combinations, not a general tightening covering every greenhouse crop or all nursery imports.
The legal basis is Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/826, which amends the EU plant-health implementing rules under Regulation 2019/2072. The Danish agricultural authority explained in April that the regulation formally entered into force in May, while key pest and import requirements would apply from 15 October.
What importers should do
For commercial nurseries, propagation businesses and horticultural importers handling the listed material, the immediate task is to match each product and origin with the correct certificate declaration. The NVWA advises checking with overseas suppliers before shipment whether required production-site inspections, sampling or laboratory tests have been completed. Non-compliant consignments can face refusal on arrival.
Key takeaways
- Effective date: specified new import-document and plant-health conditions apply to consignments entering the EU from 15 October 2026.
- Scope: named nursery trees and fruit trees, ginger and turmeric, and certain citrus and wood products are affected under different conditions.
- Action: check product-specific certificates, declarations and any pre-export testing requirements with suppliers before dispatch.
