Date of issue: 1 December 2021
Date of effect: 7 December 2021
Reference Number: MAA2021-21
Related MAAs: NPG MAA 2021-09 and 2021-10
Attention:
- Industries—Industry bodies – Dairy Australia, Dairy Export Industry Consultative Committee, Infant Nutrition Council, Seafood Export Consultative Committee, Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australian Honey Bee Industry Council
- Export dairy and seafood establishments
- Exporters
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment —Central and Regional offices
Purpose
This Market Access Advice provides advice on the proposed commencement date for the new, updated European Union (EU) export certificates for dairy, fish, honey, composite products and edible non-prescribed goods. It also outlines the additional information that exporters will need to provide in their Request for Permit (RFP) or Request for Export (REX) or application for manual certification to complete these certificates.
Summary of key points
- The European Union revised the deadline for new export certification to 15 January 2022.
- The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is introducing the use of amended EU certificates in stages commencing 7 December 2021, with introduction of new business rules for RFPs and REXs. This affects dairy, seafood, composite products, honey, edible tallow and collagen and gelatine.
- Introduction of the new EXDOC/NEXDOC business rules from 7 December 2021 will require additional information for the new EU certificates.
- The department recommends that exporters progress any RFP requests for the EU to the COMP stage in EXDOC before 7 December 2021 and REX requests in NEXDOC before 8 December 2021 to avoid any issues with the transition of these new rules.
- Software vendors have been required to update software to include this new information.
- In the initial stage, only English language certificates will be available for use to all EU countries. While the department is seeking the EU's agreement to accept these certificates for the interim period, it is possible that some EU Border Control Posts may request bilingual certificates. If this occurs, exporters are requested to seek assistance by following usual procedures and contacting their regional office, but are also requested to provide any relevant information to exportstandards@awe.gov.au.
Additional information required by the EU
As part of the staged implementation, the first step in this process will be the introduction of new EXDOC business rules for EU certificates from 7 December 2021, requiring additional information that will be needed for the new EU certificates. Exporters are required to provide additional information when raising a RFP in EXDOC or a REX (for dairy) in NEXDOC.
The new information required includes:
- Place of destination - This is now compulsory for all consignments, not just those in transit across the EU.
- This field will require the Name, Address, Registration/Approval Number (if applicable) and country of the place in the EU where the consignment is being delivered for final unloading (the EXDOC system will then automatically provide the ISO country code for this field).
- The EU have advised that if the intended destination changes after the certificate has been signed, then the importer can update this information in the Common Health Entry Document (CHED). This is the responsibility of the importer and certificates should not be replaced after departure unless requested by the border control post.
- Please contact your software provider if you are unsure where the Place of destination field is located within your software program.
- CN code - this was provided as the Harmonized System (HS) code previously but this will be entered in EU format as 4, 6 or 8 digit number as stipulated in Council Regulation EU 2021/632.
- Batch number – Batch number will be required for each line of product on a certificate. This number should match what is labelled on the cartons or commercial documents. The EXDOC system can accommodate up to 17 characters in the batch number field that can be a combination of numbers, letters and the symbols ( / ), ( : ) or ( - ). For fish which typically applies the processing date as the batch or lot number, the batch or lot number may be entered in the format of DD-MMM-YYYY (i.e. 29-MAY-2020).
- Final consumer - the certificate will require an indication of whether the products are packaged for final consumers so that the EU can check that the labelling complies with EU law.
- This should be “Yes” if the commodity is packaged for final consumers. This includes product packaged for retail sale i.e. a supermarket or packed in individual portions for consumer use.
- This should be “No” if the products are packed in bulk and to be separated for sale to individual consumers by the retailer i.e. such as a butcher’s shop or fish vendor.
While the new EU model certificates include a space for a QR code, this is not a compulsory requirement and will not be applied to certificates in the EXDOC system. Exporters may notice other changes to the appearance of these new certificates, including the government attestations. These changes do not affect the information required from exporters.
Should there be any questions on the introduction of new EXDOC business rules, drop-in sessions are being planned to explain the new EXDOC business rules and assistance with RFPs will be available from the EXDOC Helpdesk on 02 6272 4800 or EXDOC.HelpDesk@aff.gov.au.
Changes to specific commodities
Dairy
Template revisions
The new template number and title is provided in Table 1 (below). These new EU certificates will be deployed after 8.00pm on 8 December 2021 into NEXDOC .
| Current Template Number | Current Certificate Title | New Template Title | New Template Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZDENH1 | Health Certificate for dairy products derived from milk of cows, ewes, goats and buffaloes for human consumption from third countries or parts thereof authorized in Column B of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 intended for importation into the European Union | Health Certificate for the entry into the union of dairy products intended for human consumption that are required to undergo a pasteurization treatment | ZDEUH1 |
| ZDENHT | Animal Health Certificate for raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products for human consumption intended for transit through or storage in the European Union. | Health Certificate for the entry into the union of dairy products intended for human consumption that are required to undergo a pasteurization treatment | ZDEUHT |
EU TRACES EXPORTER ID and NEXDOC
Dairy exporters are required to add their EU TRACES EXPORTER ID to their NEXDOC records as soon as possible. Dairy exporters will be unable to use the new EU certificates without an EU TRACES EXPORTER ID. Registration for an EU TRACES EXPORTER ID can be completed at Getting Started.
The department has also developed a user guide to assist with adding an EU TRACES EXPORTER ID in NEXDOC. The guide is available at NEXDOC help.
Exporters will also need to provide the correct TRACES ID for the consignee (importer). Please ask your importer to provide you with their correct consignee TRACES ID.
Fish and fish products
New Templates
Please note that new certificates are not yet available for fish and fish products. Once the date of deployment has been determined, a further Market Access Advice will be issued.
Health certificates for fish and fish products shall continue to be raised in the export documentation system (EXDOC). The existing certificate template numbers FEEN1A, FEEN1E and FEEN2C will continue to be used until the new certificates are deployed in EXDOC. Please refer to Table 2 for the new template numbers applicable to your product(s).
For the export of fish and crustaceans, there are two new templates FXEUA and FXEUC. Both templates have the same title; Health Certificate For The Entry In The Union Of Live Fish, Live Crustaceans And Products Of Animal Origin From Those Animals Intended For Human Consumption. The difference between the two templates is the crossed out text, which determines the type of fish and fish products to be exported using the templates.
For bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods, there are four new templates BMEUA, BMEUB, BMEUC and BMEUD. All four templates have the same title; Health Certificate For The Entry In The Union Of Live Bivalve Molluscs, Echinoderms, Tunicates, Marine Gastropods And Products Of Animal Origin From These Animals Intended For Human Consumption. The difference between these four templates is the crossed out text, which determines the type of products to be exported using the templates.
For cephalopod molluscs (e.g. squid and octopus), please use the FXEUE certificate template titled; Certificate For The Entry Into The Union Of Other Products Of Animal Origin Derived From Domestic Ungulates, Poultry, Rabbits Or Fishery Products Intended For Human Consumption And Not Covered By Articles 8 To 26 Of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235.
| New Template | Type of fish or fish products |
|---|---|
| FXEUA | For the export of non-viable fin fish and crustaceans that are ready for direct human consumption. E.g. Frozen yellowtail kingfish and fish oil. |
| FXEUC | For the export of live crustaceans packaged for retail sale. E.g. live Rock Lobster trade where the Rock Lobsters are packaged for retail sale. |
| BMEUA | For the export of live marine gastropod molluscs not susceptible to listed diseases*. E.g. live Greenlip and Blacklip abalone. |
| BMEUB | For the export of non-viable bivalve molluscs, marine gastropods, echinoderms and tunicates ready for direct human consumption. E.g. Frozen Abalone meat |
| BMEUC | For the export of live bivalve molluscs not susceptible to listed diseases*. E.g. Silverlip Pearl Oysters |
| BMEUD | For the export of live bivalve molluscs packaged and labelled for human consumption and packaged for retail sale. E.g. Live Pacific Oysters |
| FXEUE | This template is for the export of fish products other than finfish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, gastropod, echinoderms and tunicates. E.g. Frozen octopus and squid. |
* Susceptible species include Pacific Oysters, Native Oysters and Blue Mussels. For a full list of susceptible species please refer to EU Regulation 2018/1882.
EU TRACES EXPORTER ID and EXDOC
- As indicated in previous Market Access Advice (Fish MAA 2021-16), the department is working with our EU counterparts to implement paperless exchange of health certificates (eCert).
- The EU uses an online platform, Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), for paperless exchange of health certificates for the importation of animals and animal products into the EU. At some point, the department will connect with TRACES New Technology (NT) to facilitate this exchange.
- Exporter TRACES ID is prerequisite to trade within the EU. If you are currently exporting to the EU, you would already have an Exporter TRACES ID.
- In preparation for eCert exchange with the EU, exporters must ensure that their EU EXPORTER TRACES ID is correctly reflected in their EXDOC registration records, including exactly the same address and that there are no duplicate IDs in TRACES for their business. Exporters should confirm with their importer whether the importer has applied for a TRACES ID on the exporter’s behalf, and if so, the exact details of that ID. To update your TRACES ID number in EXDOC, email exdoc.helpdesk@awe.gov.au . Please note this does not relate to your establishment registration details in ER.
- Exporters will also need to provide the consignee’s TRACES ID. Prior to export, exporters will need to ask their importer for this information.
Honey, composite products and other edible non-prescribed goods
MANUAL CERTIFICATES – ENGLISH ONLY
Template revisions
The new template numbers have not changed. There are minor changes to the titles, as provided in Table 3 (below). These will be available from 8 December 2021.
| Template Number – no changes | Old Title | New Title | Certificate type |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUHGB | Official Certificate for the Entry in the Union for Placing on the Market of Honey and Other Apiculture Products Intended for Human Consumption | Official Certificate for the Entry in the Union for Placing on the Market of Honey and Other Apiculture Products Intended for Human Consumption | Manual |
| M492 | Health Certificate for import into the European Union of Composite Products intended for Human Consumption | Official Certificate for the Entry into the Union of Not Shelf-Stable Composite Products and Shelf-Stable Composite Products, containing any quantity of meat products except gelatine, collagen and highly refined products, and intended for human consumption. | Manual |
| M492A | Health Certificate for transit through or storage in the European Union of Composite Products intended for Human Consumption | Official Certificate For The Transit Through The Union To A Third Country Either By Immediate Transit Or After Storage In The Union Of Not Shelf-Stable Composite Products And Shelf-Stable Composite Products Containing Any Quantity Of Meat Products And Intended For Human Consumption | Manual |
| EUET | Health Certificate for Entry into the Union for Placing on the Market of Rendered Animal Fats and Greaves intended for Human Consumption | Health Certificate For The Entry Into The Union Of Meat Products Intended For Human Consumption, Including Rendered Animal Fats And Greaves, Meat Extracts And Treated Stomachs, Bladders And Intestines Others Than Casings, That Are Not Required To Undergo A Specific Risk-Mitigating Treatment | Manual |
| M022 | Official Certificate for the Entry into the Union for Placing on the Market of Raw Materials for the Production of Gelatine and Collagen intended for Human Consumption | Health Certificate for the Entry into the Union for Placing on the Market of Raw Materials for the Production of Gelatine and Collagen intended for Human Consumption | Manual |
All honey, composite products and edible non-prescribed goods certificates will continue to be in English. However, the department is aware that certificates must be available in the official language of the Member State of the Border Control Post of entry into the EU. The department is seeking the EU's agreement to accept these certificates for the interim period.
The department shall develop bilingual certificates on an exporter demand basis. If a bilingual certificate is not available for the port in which your consignment will be entering, please contact the department, at ExportStandards@awe.gov.au.
Please provide information on the expected quantity and value of your intended exports to the EU, so your request can be assessed and prioritised by departmental staff. It takes several weeks to develop new export documentation of this nature.
Micor
The Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) will be updated to reflect these changes once the certificates have been amended. The department encourages users of Micor to subscribe to the Micor update service for a commodity specific email that lists changes that have been made in the preceding week.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment encourages all exporters to work with their importer to ensure that product meets the current importing country requirements.
Further information
Contact ExportStandards@aff.gov.au if you have any queries.
The information provided in this advice is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.