Author: Pauline Davey

Defra warns of possible delays at BIPs due to server maintenance

Defra warns of possible delays at BIPs due to server maintenance

Posted by | Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 01 46 pm |

Below is a notification OATA has received from Defra that may affect importers Delays in Clearance of Consignments Requiring Veterinary Checks At Border Inspection Posts – ALVS Downtime Maintenance to servers that host the Automatic licence verification system (ALVS) will take place over several weekends in September and October 2017.  ALVS may therefore not be available from 7 pm on Friday evening until 7 am on Monday morning which means that Manual Customs clearances will be required for all consignments that require a CVED or CED via TRACES.   Please use the request for a manual release form on the...

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Clear these pond plants from shelves for good

Clear these pond plants from shelves for good

Posted by | Thursday, August 3, 2017, 08 39 am |

3 August 2017 Four popular pond plants must be cleared from shop shelves from today and can no longer be sold to the public. American skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana), Lagarosiphon major and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) were banned from sale by the EU last year. Retailers were given 12 months to sell their stock. This deadline has now passed so none of these plants can be sold (or ordered in the future) from 3 August 2017 onwards. OATA is also offering guidance to retailers to help them find suitable alternatives. These are: For water hyacinth (Eichhornia...

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Give us your views on our training packages

Give us your views on our training packages

Posted by | Wednesday, August 2, 2017, 08 57 am |

We are looking to review the way we deliver our training packages, as well as looking at potentially offering new modules. If you have taken either our Certificate or Advanced Diploma training or are planning to do so please take a few minutes to give us your thoughts. Your help with this is much appreciated. Take our survey...

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Find UK & EU trade statistic reports

Find UK & EU trade statistic reports

Posted by | Wednesday, August 2, 2017, 08 36 am |

OATA has produced its annual review of the UK and EU trade and created its trade statistic reports for OATA members. Log into the members’ section using your membership number to read Log in here to find the reports. Only OATA members will be able to access these reports. Not a member? Find out how to join OATA...

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Channa under the spotlight for EU ban

Channa under the spotlight for EU ban

Posted by | Monday, July 31, 2017, 02 09 pm |

31 July 2017 The European Union is working on its next list of invasive species to ban across Member States under the EU Alien Invasive Species Regulation. Confusingly this is called the Second Review which has produced a third list. Yet again, the ornamental aquatic industry seems to be disproportionately affected with one fish species and four plant species featuring on the list of 11. We are particularly concerned by the inclusion of the whole Channa genus on this list, which effectively seeks to ban all species of this fish. Currently in England and Wales Channa argus is banned...

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