Machinery

Since 14 December 2019, new import requirements have been imposed on used forestry and agricultural machinery for imports from outside the EU. Used machines may collect plant material and soil on them. The purpose of the requirements and restrictions is to prevent the spread of plant diseases and pests with the machines.

In order to prevent the spread of animal diseases, the Commission has adopted Safeguard Decision 2013/426 (as amended), which lays down the conditions for the entry into the EU of second-hand livestock vehicles from certain third countries.

Requirements for used agricultural and forestry machinery

Plant health

All consignments must have a Phytosanitary Certificate obtained from the phytosanitary authority of the sending country. In addition, import consignments must be reported in the TracesNT system as CHED-PP (Common Health Entry Document for Plants, Plant Products and Plant propagating material) (Plants and plant products – Traces). In practice, the machine must be cleaned and free from soil and plant material.

Animal diseases

Operator or driver of a livestock vehicle on arrival to EU territory must provide a certificate showing that the livestock or loading compartment, where applicable the truck body, the loading ramp, the equipment having been in contact with animals, the wheels and the driver’scabin and protective clothes/boots used during unloading have been cleansed and disinfected after the last unloading of animals.

Uncleaned or untreated vehicles may only be imported with a permit from the Finnish Food Authority. The granting of an import permit shall be subject to the condition that the import does not pose a risk to human health or a risk of spreading animal diseases. The authorization lays down the import conditions.

Importers must register

Importers of products requiring a phytosanitary certificate must register in the plant health register of Finnish Food Authority. You can find the registration instructions and the form here (in Finnish). In addition, the importer must apply to TracesNT (Traces - Plants and plant products).

Phytosanitary inspection of used machinery

Plant health

The import of used machinery is allowed only through the approved border control points: Vaalimaa, Vuosaari harbour and Turku harbour. The documents of all the imported consignments are inspected at the border control point where the consignment enters EU. 10 % of the imported consignments are physically inspected. If the physical inspection is not to be carried out, the importer is allowed to move the consignment from the border control point and take it in use after the documentary check.

If the documentary check and physical inspection are already carried out in another EU country, the consignment is allowed to enter Finland through every border crossing point. The importer informs the CHED-PP number from the Traces-system to the Customs.

Animal diseases

Customs checks the above-mentioned certificate and the vehicle at the point of entry into the EU and, if the result is satisfactory, Customs will let the vehicle enter EU. If the cleaning and disinfection is not satisfactory, Customs may order the vehicle to be immediately washed and disinfected at a separately designated place.

Customs may order the disinfection of the wheels or any other part of any vehicle (including vehicles transporting feed) for which a significant risk of African swine fever cannot enter the territory of the Union cannot be ruled out.

The original certificate issued by Customs shall be kept for three years by the operator or the driver of the livestock vehicle.

Import fees

Plant health

Inspection fees can be found in price list (in Finnish/Swedish) (Kasvintuotanto ja lannoitteet – Kasvinterveys ja taimiaineistot – Tuonti- ja vientitarkastukset – Tuontitarkastukset - Otantatarkastusta edellyttävien tuote-erien tuontitarkastusmaksu, tuontilähetystä kohti).