European Union imports of ginger, turmeric, citrus, some fruit trees and oak and chestnut plants need new certificate statements from 15 October 2026.<\/p>\n
The European Commission’s new plant-health rules for imported ginger, turmeric, citrus fruit, fruit trees and oak and chestnut wood apply from 15 October 2026.<\/p>\n
The rules come from Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026\/826, adopted on 14 April 20261<\/a><\/sup>. It changes the European Union’s (EU) main list of plant pests and the import conditions linked to them1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n In short, many shipments of these goods now need an extra statement on their plant-health certificate. Without the right statement, a shipment can be refused at the EU border2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The regulation amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019\/2072, the EU rulebook that lists harmful plant pests and the import conditions for plants and plant products1<\/a><\/sup>. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 April 20263<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The regulation entered into force on 5 May 2026<\/strong>3<\/a><\/sup>. Some parts applied from that day. The parts on new pests, the new import conditions and the ginger and turmeric rules apply from 15 October 2026<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), the Dutch inspection agency, announced the change on Aug. 31, 20262<\/a><\/sup>. It said the new rules and certificate statements apply at the moment goods enter the EU2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The European Commission said new scientific information from pest risk studies was available1<\/a><\/sup>. These studies came from the European Food Safety Authority, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and EU member states1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n EPPO studied three insects in detail1<\/a><\/sup>. They are a beetle that bores into oak and chestnut trees (Agrilus bilineatus), the citrus fruit borer (Gymnandrosoma aurantianum) and a weevil (Naupactus xanthographus)1<\/a><\/sup>. The regulation now lists all three as Union quarantine pests<\/strong>, meaning pests the EU must keep out of its territory1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The Dutch agency said the oak beetle is a large risk to important trees such as chestnut and oak2<\/a><\/sup>. The aim of all the new rules is to stop new quarantine pests from entering the EU and spreading inside it2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The regulation targets a bacterium that harms plants, called Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum1<\/a><\/sup>. The bacterium was found on imported plants of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officinale)1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Outbreaks have also been reported in EU nurseries that grew ginger plants1<\/a><\/sup>. The bacterium was found in water samples in Hungary and the Netherlands1<\/a><\/sup>. For that reason, the EU now lists it as a pest already present in the EU1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The new rules cover two groups of goods1<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\n Both groups need the new statement when they come from any country outside the EU1<\/a><\/sup>. The Dutch agency said Switzerland is the one exception2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The plant-health certificate must carry an official statement from the exporting country1<\/a><\/sup>. The statement must confirm one of three choices1<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\nWhat did the European Commission change?<\/h2>\n
Regulation (EU) 2026\/826 step by step<\/h4>\n
Why does the EU want new certificate statements?<\/h2>\n
Why are ginger and turmeric now covered?<\/h2>\n
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How can a ginger shipment meet the rules?<\/h2>\n
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Extra steps for a registered ginger or turmeric site<\/h4>\n