The UK–EU SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement is a planned deal that would bring Great Britain's plant health rules into line with the EU's. For trade nurseries, the headline changes are that EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports, and routine border checks and phytosanitary certificates for plants moving between Great Britain and the EU will end. The government intends the agreement to take effect in mid-2027, but the detail is still being negotiated, so today's UK plant passport rules still apply.
This guide describes the changes the government expects, not rules in force today. It is based on GOV.UK guidance last updated in summer 2026. Details, dates and transition periods may change. Always check the latest GOV.UK guidance for horticulture before making decisions.
What the SPS agreement is
"SPS" covers the rules that protect plant, animal and human health: plant health checks, certificates, pest controls and food safety standards. In May 2025 the UK and EU agreed to work towards a shared SPS arrangement. Negotiations followed, and the government has published sector-by-sector guidance on what it expects to change.
The government describes the overall direction as Great Britain aligning with EU rules in these areas. The UK will keep some of its own rules in certain areas, but the details of those exceptions are still being negotiated.
What changes for trade nurseries
Government guidance lists these expected changes for plants and plant products.
| Area | Today | Expected under the agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Plant passports | UK plant passports for movements within Great Britain | EU plant passports replace UK plant passports |
| Sending plants to the EU | Phytosanitary certificate needed | Phytosanitary certificates no longer required |
| Plants arriving from the EU | Import checks at the border | Routine border checks stop; some post-import checks remain for some plants |
| High-risk plants from the EU | Current import controls | A new notification system for high-risk plant imports |
| Imports from outside the EU | Phytosanitary certificates and checks | Phytosanitary certificates still required; inspections of some goods increase |
| Pests | GB pest categories | GB adopts the EU pest categories, which may change how some pests are managed |
| Reporting | GB systems | Taking part in EU reporting and inspection systems |
Customs controls stay in place. The agreement is about plant health checks and certificates, not customs.
EU plant passports
This is the change that will touch most nurseries day to day. The guidance confirms that EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports, but it does not yet set out the detailed requirements, how the switch will work or whether there will be a transition period.
Until then, keep issuing UK plant passports exactly as you do now. Our guide to how to issue UK plant passports covers today's rules.
Possible extra inspections
Government guidance says there may be additional growing-season inspections in 2026 to meet EU plant passport requirements in 2027. It also says businesses will not be charged for additional work carried out before the agreement is implemented.
APHA has published an expression of interest for plant passporting on the UK Plant Health Information Portal to help arrange these inspections, along with a list of herbaceous plants to help growers check what applies to them. If you grow herbaceous plants, it's worth reading.
Plant protection products
Active substances and pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs) will be aligned with the EU. This may change which products you can buy and how you can use them, even if you never trade with the EU. The guidance says growers are not expected to make changes at this stage, and that detailed guidance will follow.
Northern Ireland
For nurseries that supply customers in Northern Ireland, government guidance expects things to get simpler:
- Most goods, including plants for planting and seeds, won't need routine SPS certificates, checks or paperwork to move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
- Phytosanitary certificates will no longer be required for these movements.
- The Northern Ireland plant health label (NIPHL) scheme will not be needed.
- Final restrictions on certain tree species will end.
The Windsor Framework continues to apply. Until the agreement takes effect, the current rules for moving plants to Northern Ireland still apply.
What is confirmed and what isn't
It helps to keep the two apart when planning.
Stated in government guidance:
- EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports.
- Phytosanitary certificates will no longer be needed for movements to the EU.
- Routine border checks on plants moving between Great Britain and the EU will end.
- The agreement is intended to take effect in mid-2027, subject to negotiations.
Not yet confirmed:
- the detailed requirements for EU plant passports in Great Britain
- exact dates and any transition periods
- which UK rules will be kept as exceptions
- the detail of any new notification or reporting systems
What to do now
The government's advice is to prepare without making detailed changes yet. For a trade nursery, that means:
- Keep following today's rules. UK plant passports, registration and authorisation all carry on as normal until the agreement takes effect.
- Sign up for updates. Defra runs an SPS readiness mailing list and email alerts for new guidance.
- Check the APHA expression of interest if you grow herbaceous plants, in case extra growing-season inspections apply to you.
- Review your supply chains. List which plants you buy from the EU and outside the EU, and which customers you supply in Northern Ireland or the EU.
- Talk to suppliers, customers and hauliers about what they expect to change.
- Get your records in order. Whatever the passport format, you'll still need to trace every batch back to its supplier and country of origin, and forward to the customers you supplied. Our guide to plant passport record keeping covers what to keep today.
- Check with your trade body for sector advice as detailed guidance is published.
How PlantDesk helps
The passport format may change, but the information behind it stays much the same. PlantDesk nursery management software holds plant passport information (parts A to D), supplier information and country of origin against every batch, with lifecycle tracking from arrival to sale.
That means when the detailed rules arrive, the information you need is already in one place, not spread across spreadsheets and paper labels. As plants are quoted, invoiced and delivered, the record of who you supplied builds up alongside it.
PlantDesk holds and produces the information. Your nursery remains responsible for its authorisation and records. See how plant passport records work in PlantDesk.