(1)

Directive 2000/29/EC provides that plants, plant products or other objects listed in Part B of Annex V thereto that come from a third country and that are brought into the customs territory of the Union are to be accompanied by the respective original of the required official phytosanitary certificate from the moment of their entry into the Union. The Annex to the International Plant Protection Convention (‘IPPC’) sets out the model phytosanitary certificate required.

(2)

Directive 2000/29/EC provides that electronic phytosanitary certificates may be recognised where specific conditions established by the Commission are met.

(3)

The Traces system, established by Commission Decision 2004/292/EC (2) in accordance with Council Directive 90/425/EEC (3), is the Commission's web-based tool for the certification of sanitary and phytosanitary requirements regarding intra-Union trade in animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants and for the importation of animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants into the Union. It enables the entire certification process to be performed electronically and facilitates the exchange of information between the relevant trading parties and control authorities.

(4)

The Traces system allows for copies of paper-based phytosanitary certificates issued by the national plant protection organisations of third countries to be uploaded. Member States' national certification systems may provide similar functionalities.

(5)

The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (‘UN/CEFACT’) has developed technical standards for simplifying transaction processes and thus contributing to the growth of global commerce. Those standards are relevant to the implementation of paperless trade facilities and describe the data formats for information exchange. The eXtensible Markup Language (‘XML’) is a universally accepted standard message format for organising and describing data in documents such as phytosanitary certificates.

(6)

Compliance with UN/CEFACT standards and the use of XML format should therefore constitute the pre-requisite for recognising electronic phytosanitary certificates in the Union.

(7)

Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) lays down rules for trust services and establishes a legal framework for electronic signatures, electronic seals, electronic time stamps, electronic documents, electronic registered delivery services and certificate services for website authentication that are necessary to attribute a certain degree of confidence in electronic identification means.

(8)

Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 establishes the necessary security requirements which are to be achieved through different technologies. In particular, it lays down the requirements for qualified trust service providers providing qualified electronic signatures and seals and non-qualified trust service providers providing advanced electronic signatures and seals. Both providers are capable of unequivocally identifying the signatory or the creator of the seal.

(9)

In order to maintain an adequate level of security of electronic identification means and electronic certifications, to digitise the certification process in line with the communication of the Commission of 6 May 2015‘A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe’ (5), and in order to harmonise standards across Member States, it is appropriate that the conditions for the recognition of electronic phytosanitary certificates meet the standards laid down by Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, and in particular the standards set for qualified electronic signature, seal and timestamp and for advanced electronic signature and seal.

(10)

However, in order to allow for a gradual implementation of this Decision and in order to avoid any disruption of trade, it is appropriate to recognise electronic phytosanitary certificates meeting the criteria laid down by Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 for electronic signature and seal for a limited period of time.

(11)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,