Since January 1, 2014 the Poland’s border inspection posts start checking the quality of imported hay and straw. Starting with the day specified all loads of straw and hay (under codes CN: 12130000 and 121490), crossing the Polish borders, including straw pellets for energy purposes, must undergo the border veterinary checks.
By order of Janusz Zvenzeka, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Poland, the import of hay and straw for energy purposes (pellets) from third countries is completely suspended. The experts of Ukrainian Biofuel Portal pellets-wood.com report, that an exception was made to the straw and hay suppliers from Australia, Belarus, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Greenland, Iceland, New Zealand, some parts of South Africa, Switzerland and US.
The list of countries with the permission to import hay and straw goods with no veterinary checks is stipulated in Annex V to Regulation (EU) No 136/2004 of 22 January 2004 regarding the veterinary checks of imported goods at the UE border checkpoints. The import of goods from countries not mentioned in the list above is not possible.
Earlier, the Veterinary Service of Poland doubted whether the European Commission regulations of 17 May 2007 which determines the list of animals and goods for border veterinary checks at the EU border posts are applied to straw pellets for energy purposes imported from third countries.
Thus, the Chief Veterinary Officer sent a request to the European Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Poland’s Ministry of Economy to clarify the regulations regarding hay and straw products import. While waiting for the explanations from the European Commission and other institutions for the biomass import and use control, Poland’s State Veterinary Service did not require straw pellets suppliers to undergo the veterinary border checks.
Such allowance was introduced since the hay and straw products may cause an epizootic threat only when the pellets are used as feed or bedding for animals. Still, there is always a risk that these products may be put in barns, hog houses or stables by chance.
Explanations for the Commission Regulation No 2012/21/UE from 21 December 2011 issued by the European Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development indicate the demand for all types of straw products under CN codes to undergo the veterinary checks.
The following State Veterinary Service’s official statement defines that the import of all kinds of straw products under code CN 12130000 regardless of its use purposes (including straw pellets for energy purposes) as well as hay products under code CN 121490 is only possible after the border veterinary checks.
Official announcement of the Chief Veterinary Officer regarding this issue has been published on the official website of the State Veterinary Service of Poland in Warsaw.
Author: Ivan Prokhorov
