The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) has reshaped the regulatory landscape for importing plants from the EU to Great Britain. For UK garden centres and landscaping companies that source ornamental plants from EU producers — or are considering doing so — understanding the current rules is not optional: getting the import process wrong can delay or lose a shipment entirely.
This article sets out the current BTOM requirements for ornamental plant imports from EU producers, with specific reference to the documentary and logistical requirements relevant for buyers sourcing from Italian nurseries such as Vivai Reali.
What Is the BTOM?
The Border Target Operating Model is the UK Government’s framework for biosecurity and customs compliance of goods entering Great Britain from the EU and other territories. It replaced the transitional arrangements that followed Brexit and introduced a risk-based system of controls for plant imports.
For buyers importing ornamental plants from Italy, the key elements of the BTOM are:
Risk categorisation
The BTOM classifies plant material by risk level — medium risk or high risk for most ornamental plants intended for planting (shrubs, hedging, topiary, conifers). The risk level determines the documentation and inspection requirements.
Phytosanitary Certificate requirement
Plants classified as medium or high risk from EU origin require a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the competent plant health authority in the country of export (in Italy: the SQNPI — Sistema di Qualità Nazionale di Produzione Integrata, operating through the regional plant health services). The certificate must accompany every consignment entering the UK.
IPAFFS pre-notification (mandatory)
The Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) is the UK’s digital pre-notification platform. Importers — or their customs agents or brokers — must submit a pre-notification on IPAFFS before the consignment arrives at a UK Border Control Post (BCP). This is the importer’s legal responsibility under UK law.
Physical checks at Border Control Posts
From April 2024, consignments classified as high risk, and a proportion of medium risk consignments selected for physical inspection, are subject to documentary, identity and physical checks at a UK Border Control Post. Consignments that fail inspection can be refused entry, destroyed or re-exported.
Additional Declarations
Certain species require Additional Declarations (AD) within the phytosanitary certificate — typically attestations that the production site is free from specified quarantine pests. Xylella fastidiosa is among the quarantine pests for which ADs are commonly required for ornamental plants from Italian producers.
How the BTOM Affects Lead Times
The practical logistical implication of the BTOM for buyers sourcing from Italy is lead time. The phytosanitary certificate must be issued before the consignment departs the nursery — it cannot be applied for retrospectively. Obtaining the certificate requires a physical inspection of the consignment by the Italian plant health authority.
For buyers planning their procurement calendar, this means factoring in:
- Order confirmation and nursery preparation time
- Phytosanitary inspection and certification time (included in Vivai Reali’s standard lead time)
- Transit time from Pistoia to UK delivery point (road freight, cross-Channel routing)
- UK Border Control Post processing time (variable; factor in contingency for peak periods)
Vivai Reali’s standard order-to-despatch lead time is 1–2 weeks, including phytosanitary certification. During spring and autumn peak periods, lead times extend and are agreed at order confirmation.
What Vivai Reali Manages for UK Buyers
Vivai Reali handles phytosanitary documentation as part of the standard export process for all UK consignments:
- Coordination with the Italian plant health authority for Phytosanitary Certificate issuance
- Preparation of required Additional Declarations where applicable
- Certificate and documentation made available to the buyer’s customs agent ahead of BCP arrival
The buyer’s responsibilities on the UK side are:
- IPAFFS pre-notification (submitted by the importer or their customs agent/broker)
- Customs clearance and any import duties
Annalisa, Vivai Reali’s commercial contact for the UK and French markets with over 20 years in the role, works with UK buyers on a regular basis and is familiar with the current documentation process. For buyers new to direct import from Italy, the team can provide practical guidance based on existing UK trade relationships.
Ireland: Different Rules Apply
Republic of Ireland buyers are not subject to the BTOM. Ireland remains an EU member state, and imports of ornamental plants from Italy to Ireland are governed by the intra-EU plant passport system — not the UK border control regime. This makes direct procurement from Italian producers operationally simpler and faster for Irish buyers than for their counterparts in Great Britain.
Check Stock Before You Enquire
Real-time availability across Vivai Reali’s full ornamental plant range — hedging, topiary, conifers, bamboo — is published on the B2B Stock List on infoplant.
For a step-by-step walkthrough of the notification process itself, see our dedicated IPAFFS pre-notification plant import guide.
→ View Stock List — current availability
