The risk categorisation sets out the proposed controls that will apply to these imports when they cross the border into Great Britain from 31st October, 2023, as detailed in the draft TOM published on April 5^th, 2023.
 
The TOM broadly describes the SPS categories of high, medium and low risk. The published categorisation affords further detail of how the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) regime will be applied to working practice. 
For animals and animal products, the categorisation is derived from a scientific assessment of each commodity's biosecurity and food safety risk, weighted against the disease and pest risk of the country of origin.

An equivalent process is in place for plants and plant products to categorise commodities according to biosecurity risk. The categorisation is designed to be dynamic to enable a response to changing risks. 
There are some specific commodity groups (i.e., dairy, composites, and fruit and vegetables) where further risk assessment is ongoing.

These have been placed in the 'low’ TOM risk category from October 2023, pending further risk assessments. Any other change to the risk assessment criteria is intended to be communicated to traders well in advance of any subsequent changes to commodity categorisation.

The EU member states will be treated as a single EU epidemiological entity; therefore, all imports from the EU countries will have SPS controls applied consistently.


If your business imports food products, live animals, animal products, plants or plant products from the EU into GB, it will be essential to check the TOM risk level of your commodities for import now to be ready for upcoming changes to border processes.

• Plants and Plant Product TOM Risk Categories can be found at the link below:
•  https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/trade/imports/target-operating-model-tom/tom-risk-categorisationsAnimal and Animal products TOM Risk Categories can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/risk-categories-for-animal-and-animal-product-imports-to-great-britain
 
The TOM is committed to streamlining the format and content of the Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for Animals and Animal Products imported to GB. The new GB model certificates do not change the requirements for importing animal and animal products into GB. The GB EHCs will be shorter and more logical in their format than the existing GB EHCs. The new GB EHCs for Products of Animal Origin (POAO) and several Animal By-Products (ABP) have been published on gov.uk here: Model health certificates for exports of live animals and animal products to Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
 
The remaining APB EHCs will follow by mid-May 2023. All high and medium-risk POAO and ABP imported into GB from EU/EEA countries will need to use the new GB EHCs from 31st October, 2023. New model EHCs for live animals and germinal products will be published in the summer.
 
Strong & Herd are offering importers and exporters the facility to engage directly with the S&H team in a series of in-depth food and SPS focussed courses that will follow the new legislation into implementation.
 
The IPAFFS course will enable traders, agents, and brokers to understand the complex IPAFFS completion requirements for importing SPS goods.
Food Import and Food Export courses will support the cross-border regulatory requirements for all food sectors and products.
 
All courses offer an in-depth practical approach to importing and exporting SPS products, suitable for any importer, whether agent, broker or individual at any skill level. S&H aim to fully prepare course delegates for the new and upcoming changes to the SPS border requirements when the Target Operating Model is implemented into legislation.