Hops and hop products produced in Great Britain (GB)

Certification centres will still issue hops certificates for hops and hop products produced in GB (England, Scotland and Wales) from 1 January 2021.

GB hops certification centres must remove all EU branding (including references to the EU and the EU emblem) from certificates from 1 January 2021. The form of the certificate and the process for getting a certificate will not change.

The certification centre number will not change but it should be pre-fixed with ‘GB’ instead of ‘UK’. You must update certificates and official stamps.

Wording on official stamps should include:

• certified product – Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006
• certifying officer signature
• GB hops certificate centre number

Blends of hops and hop products

From 1 January 2021, only certified hops originating from GB or certified hops products prepared from certified hops originating from GB, can be blended in the manufacture of powder and extracts.

The certified hops or certified hops products should only be blended in the manufacture or powder or extracts if the hops or hops products are from:

• the same harvest but are different varieties
• the same harvest but are different hop production areas

The certificate accompanying the product must also state the:

• hop varieties used
• hop production areas
• year of harvesting
• percentage weight of each variety used in the blend

Instead of stating the percentage weight of each hop variety used in the blend, the certificate can state the percentage weight of each variety based on the quantity of cone hops used to prepare the hop products if:

• hop products are manufactured using hop products and cone hops
• different hop products are used
• reference numbers of the certificates issued for the hops and hops products used

Importing hops and hop products from the EU to GB

Hops and hop products imported into GB from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 must be accompanied by one of the following documents:

• EU Attestation of Equivalence issued by an authorised agency listed in Annex I of EC Regulation 1295/2008
• EU certificate from EU member states only, issued by an approved certification centre

All imports from a third country will require a GB Attestation of Equivalence from 1 July 2021.

The process for GB Attestation of Equivalence requirements and listing will be published on GOV.UK in early 2021.

Importing hops and hop products from the EU to Northern Ireland (NI)

There will be no change to the marketing standards requirements for importing hops from the EU to NI.

Moving hops and hop products from NI to GB

There is no change to the requirements for moving hops from NI to GB.

Exporting hops and hop products from GB to the EU

You’ll need to comply with EU third country import requirements to export hops and hop products from GB to the EU from 1 January 2021. The European Commission has confirmed it intends to list the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) as the UK’s authorised agency for issuing Attestations of Equivalence for hops and hop products of GB origin.

You need to enrol with the RPA before you can apply for an EU Attestation of Equivalence.

An EU Attestation of Equivalence application form and guidance on completing the form will be published before 1 January 2021.

Applying for an EU Attestation of Equivalence

You must enrol with the RPA before you can apply for an EU Attestation of Equivalence.

An EU Attestation of Equivalence application form and guidance on completing the form will be published before 1 January 2021.

Labelling rules

If you export hops and hops products to the EU from 1 January 2021, you must include the following information on each unit of packaging:

• description of the product
• variety or varieties
• country of origin
• marks and numbers indicated in section 9 of the Attestation of Equivalence or the extract

Exporting hops and hop products from NI to the EU

There will be no change to the marketing standards requirements for exporting hops and hop products from NI to the EU.

Moving hops and hop products from GB to NI

Goods moving from GB into NI will also be required to meet the import requirements applied by EU marketing standards regulations.

You must ensure that each consignment moved from GB to NI has an RPA-issued EU Attestation of Equivalence from 1 January 2021.

Exporting hops and hop products from the UK to non-EU countries

There will be no changes to the process of exporting hops and hop products from the UK directly to non-EU countries.

You should check the individual requirements of the country that you’re exporting to.

Exporting hops and hop products from the UK to non-EU countries via the EU

You should check the import requirements of the country you’re exporting hops and hop products to.

Hop and hop product consignments of GB origin will need an Attestation of Equivalence and to comply with requirements requested by the country if they:

• are destined for a non-EU country
• will transit through the EU
• are not entered into EU transit procedures (and will be released for free circulation in the EU)

This guidance is subject to Parliamentary process and agreement with the devolved administrations.