Hops and hop products marketing standards

ProducingHops hops and hop products produced in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

HopsCertification growncentres issue hops certificates for hops and hop products produced in Great BritainBritain.

Certification requirements for hops and hop products

Hops and hop products that have been grown or processed in Great Britain must complybe withcertified theby minimuman marketingapproved requirementscertification setcentre out in Annexaccordance Iwith ofCommission theRegulation regulation(EC) No 1850/2006 and Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. This is because both regulations apply in GB.

These rules applyrelate to:to all hops grown in Great Britain and hop products processed in Great Britain, including:

• hop cones
• pellets
• powder
• saps and extracts of hops
• mixed hop products

Certification requirements for hops and hop products

HopsThere andare hopsome productsexemptions thatto havethe been grown or processed in Great Britain must be certified by an approved certification centre.

Yourequirements dofor notthese needhop certification for:products:

• hops harvested on land owned by a brewery and used by that brewery in the natural or processed state
• products derived from hops and processed under contract on behalf of a brewery (provided that those products are used by the brewery itself)
• hops and products derived from hops that are put in small packets for sale to private individuals for their own use – the weight of the package must not exceed 1kg for hop cones or powder, or 300g for extract, powder and the new isomerised products
• products manufactured from isomerised hop products

GB

All certificationother centres

Tohops getand yourhop hopsproducts grown or hopsprocessed productsin certified,GB contactmust onebe ofcertified thein belowaccordance certificationwith centres:

EnglishCommission HopsRegulation Limited(EC) AGANo Buildings
Lamberhurst1850/2006. Road
TunbridgeThey Wells
Kent
TN12must 8DP

Certificationcomply centrewith number:the 01minimum GB

Steinermarketing Hops
185–189requirements Highset Street
Epping
Essex
CM16out 4BL

Certificationin centreAnnex number:I 09of GBthe regulation.

Lupofresh
BenoverHops Road
Yalding
Maidstone
Kent
ME18can 6ET

Certificationbe centreharvested number:on 10land GB

Charlesthat’s Faramowned Ltd
Monksfieldby Lane
Newland
Worcestershire
Uniteda Kingdom
WR13brewery 5BB

Certificationand centreused number:by 20that GB

Barthbrewery Haas
Hopin Pocketthe Lane
Paddocknatural Wood
Kent
TN12or 6DQ

Certificationprocessed centrestate. number:For 22these GB

Wealdonhops, Hopsthe Ltd
Congelow
Benoverbrewer Road
Yalding
Maidstone
Kent
ME18must 6ET

Certificationsend centrea number:declaration 24to GBthe Rural Payments Agency (RPA) by 15 November each year.

CheckWhat your hops certificate should include

CheckThe thatcertificate yourissued hopsby certificatethe includesGB certification centre must include the:

• description of the product
• reference number of the certificate
• net or gross weight (or both)
• hop production area or the place of production
• year of harvestharvesting
• variety
• terms ‘seeded hops’ or ‘seedless hops’ (as appropriate)
• words ‘Certified product – Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006’1850/2006’, which are included on the certificate by the competent certification authority
• place and date of processing (for products prepared from hops)

GBIf hopsyou certificatesrequire musta notlist haveof any EU branding (including references to the EU and the EU emblem).

The certification centrecentres, numberemail must be prefixed with ‘GB’ instead of ‘UK’.defrahorticulture@defra.gov.uk.

Wording on official stamps must include:

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

Labelling certified hops or hops products produced in Great Britain

Each package of certified hops or hop products must be marked with the following:

• description of the product (including the terms ‘seeded hops’ or ‘seedless hops’ as appropriate and ‘prepared hops’ or ‘unprepared hops’, as appropriate)hops’)
• variety or varieties
• reference number of the certificate

The certificate should accompany the hops or hop product when marketed in GreatGB. Britain. If the hops or hop products are split for resale after theycertification havehas beentaken certified,place, an invoice or commercial documentdocumentation referencing the following must accompany the hops or hop product and include:product:

• certificate reference number
• designation of the product
• gross or net weight (or both)
• place of production
• year of harvest
• variety
• place and date of processing (for products prepared from hops)

Blends

GB of hops andcertification hopcentres productsmust producedremove inall GreatEU Britain

branding from certificates (including references to the EU and the EU emblem).

The certification centre number must be pre-fixed with ‘GB’ instead of ‘UK’. You must blendupdate onlyany certificates and official stamps you use.

Wording on official stamps must include:

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

Blends of hops and hop products

Only certified hops originating infrom Great Britain toor certified hop products prepared from certified hops originating from GB, can be blended in the manufacture powdersof powder and extracts.

The certified hops or certified hop products blended must only be fromblended in the samemanufacture, harvest,powder butor canextracts be:if the hops or hop products are from:

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

The certificate accompanying the blended product must also state the:

• hop varieties used
• hop production areas
• year of harvestharvesting
• percentage weight of each variety used in the blend
• reference numbers of the certificates issued for the hops and hop products used

TheInstead 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

Hops

Importing productionhops areasand inhop products into Great Britain

ToHops grow hops, you need certain soil and climatehop conditions.products Inimported Greatuntil Britain,30 theJune hops2022 productionmust areasbe withaccompanied theseby soilone andof climatethe conditionsfollowing are:documents:

• Herefordshire
• Kent
• Pembrokeshire
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• Sussex
• Worcestershire

ImportingEU hopsAttestation andof hopEquivalence products(AoE) intoissued Greatby Britain

Untilan 1authorised Januaryagency 2024,listed hopsin andAnnex hopI productsof importedEC toRegulation Great Britain of:

1295/2008
• EU origincertificate mustfrom haveEU anmember EUstates certificateonly, issued by an approved EU certification centre
• non-EU

From origin1 mustJuly have2022, anall EUimports attestationfrom ofthird equivalencecountries (AoE)(EU issuedand bynon-EU ancountries) authorisedwill agency

AoEsrequire cana onlyGB beAoE issued by thean authorised agency offrom the same country where the hops originate or where the final processing of the hops took place.origin.

YouThe above requirements do not needapply an AoE or EU certificate for:to:

• small packages of hops and hop products for sale to private individuals for their own use
• hops and hop products for scientific and technical experiments
• hops and hop products for fairs covered by the special customs arrangements for fairs

For hop cones and powder, the weight of the package must not exceed 1kg. For hop extracts, the weight of the package must not exceed 300g.

The description, weight and final usage of the product must appear on the packaging.

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

HopsThere is no change to the marketing standards requirements for importing hops and hop products importedfrom the EU to NI.

Hops and hop products marketed in Northern Ireland of:must be covered by either an:

• EU origincertificate mustissued havein anaccordance EUwith certificateCommission issuedRegulation by(EC) anNo approved1850/2006 EU(as certificationthis centre regulation applies in the EU)
• non-EU AoE originissued mustin haveaccordance anwith attestationCommission ofRegulation equivalence(EC) (No 1295/2008 (as this regulation applies in the EU) – you need an AoE) issuedif bythe anhops authorisedor agency hop products are imported into the EU from a non-EU country

Hops and hop products of EU origin

An invoice or commercial documentdocumentation must accompany hops or hop products if both the:

• hops or hop products have been EU certified
• consignment has been split in an EU member state for resale after certification

The commercial documentation must include the:

• EU certificate number
• designation of the product
• gross or net weight (or both)
• place of production
• year of harvest
• variety
• place and date of processing (for products prepared from hops)

ImportingHops hops and hop products of non-EUthird origincountry from(non-EU) the EU to Northern Irelandorigin

IfAn youinvoice importor acommercial consignmentdocumentation ofmust accompany hops ofor non-EUhop originproducts toif Northernboth Ireland that was split:the:

• beforehops itor enteredhop ‘freeproducts circulation’are inof thethird EU,country it must be accompanied by an extract of attestation origin
• afterconsignment ithas enteredbeen ‘freesplit circulation’for inresale theafter EU,release itinto mustfree becirculation accompaniedinto bythe an invoice or commercial documentEU

‘Free circulation’ means that before the hops or hop products are marketed or sold after:within the EU:

• a customs entry hasmust beenbe raised for the hops or hop products
• duty or VAT hasmust beenbe paid

The commercial documentation must include the:

• AoE number and name of authority that issued it
• description of the product
• gross weight
• place of production
• year of harvest
• variety
• country of origin
• markings and identification numbers given in sectionSection 9 of the AoE attestation
• place and date of processing (for products manufactured from hops)

Consignments imported into Northern Ireland must be accompanied by an extract AoE (as shown in Annex III of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1295/2008) if the hops or hop products are all:

• of non-EU origin
• covered by an AoE
• part of a consignment that’s been split up in an EU member state before it’s released into free circulation

Moving hops and hop products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

HopsThere andis hopno productschange ofto EUthe originrequirements movedfor moving hops and hop products from Northern Ireland andto Great Britain.

To be marketed in Great BritainBritain, the hops or hop products must have anbeen issued either an:

• EU certificate supplied by an approved EU certification centrecentre, in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006.
  (as this regulation applies in the EU)
• AoE supplied by an authorised agency listed in Annex I of EC Regulation 1295/2008 (as this regulation applies in the EU)

HopsCheck if you need an invoice or hopcommercial productsdocumentation to accompany your consignment of non-EUhops originor movedhop fromproducts.

There Northernare Irelandsome andexemptions marketingto inthe Greatcertification Britainrequirements must:for hop products.

• not

  Your haveconsignment beenof hops and hop products may be split orfor enteredresale after release into free circulation in Northernthe IrelandEU (meaningor theNI. consignmentIf this has occurred, an invoice or commercial documentation must onlyaccompany transithops throughor Northernhop Ireland)

• beproducts accompaniedthat are covered by an AoE. suppliedCheck what commercial documentation you require.

  Consignments moved to Great Britain must be accompanied by an authorisedextract agencyAoE (issued by customs in Northern Ireland) if the hophops or hop product’sproducts countryare all:

  • of non-EU origin
  • covered by an AoE

  Read

• part guidanceof ona certificationconsignment andthat’s exemptionsbeen split for hopsresale andbefore hopit productsentered free circulation in GreatNorthern BritainIreland

See Annex III of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1295/2008. for the extract AoE that you’ll require.

Exporting hops and hop products from Great Britain to the EU or moving them to Northern Ireland

You must comply with EU third country import requirements to export hops and hop products from Great Britain to the EU. Third country means countries that are not in the EU.

Hops and hop products from non-EU countries can only be imported into the EU if accompanied by an EU AoE issued by an agency that’s both:

• authorised by the country of origin
• listed in Annex I of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1295/2008 (as this regulation applies in the EU)

If you export GB hops or hop products from Great Britain to the EU, you must ensure that each consignment musthas have an EU AoE that’s issued by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).. The RPA is the agency that’s authorised to issue EU AoEs for hops and hop products of GB origin.origin for the UK.

Under EU rules, you cannot re-export hops or hop products originating outside Great Britain to the EU ifthat they have alreadybeen enteredimported freeto circulationGreat inBritain Greatfrom Britain.both EU and non-EU countries.

Applying for an EU AoE

ToYou applymust for an EU AoE:

1. Enrolenrol with the RPA.
2. Fill inbefore theyou can apply for an EU AoE application.

The RPA issues EU AoEs for GB consignments entering the EU or NorthernNI. Ireland.

LabellingSee rulesfurther forinformation exportingon hopsapplying andfor hopan productsEU toAoE.

Labelling the EUrules

If you export hops and hop products to the EU, 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 AoE or the extract

Exporting hops and hop products from Northern Ireland to the EU

There is no change to requirements for exporting hops and hop products from Northern Ireland to the EU. Hops and hop products exported from Northern Ireland to the EU must meet the minimum EU marketing requirements.

To be marketed in the EU, the hops or hop products must have been issued either an:

• EU certificate supplied by an approved EU certification centre, in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006 (as this regulation applies in the EU)
• AoE supplied by an agency listed in Annex I of EC Regulation 1295/2008 (as this regulation applies in the EU) – this certification must accompany the hops or hop product

You must also check what commercial documentation you require to export hops and hop products of:

• EU origin
• third country (non-EU) origin

Consignments imported into an EU member state must be accompanied by an extract AoE if the hops or hop products are all:

• of non-EU origin
• covered by an AoE
• part of a consignment that’s been split for resale before it entered free circulation in NI

See Annex III of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1295/2008 for the extract AoE that you’ll require.

Moving hops and hop products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland must meet the import requirements applied by EU marketing standards regulations.

You must ensure that each consignment moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland has an RPA-issued EU AoE.

Under EU rules, you cannot move hops and hop products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland that have been imported into Great Britain from both EU and non-EU countries.

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

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

RejectedExporting hops and hop products exported from Greatthe BritainUK to non-EU countries via the EU

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

Hop and hop product consignments of GB origin need an AoE 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)

Rejected goods

You’ll need to provide proof of previous marketing status before your hops or hop products left Great Britain, if the following conditions all apply:

• your consignment of hops or hop products is rejected by the EU
• you want these products to enter Great Britain free circulation (declared and customs duties paid)
• you did not include this documentation with your consignment

Customs will contact you to request documentation,the relevant documentation which may include your:

• EU certificate (for consignments containing hops and hop products certified in Great Britain before 31 December 2020, or certified in the EU and moved into GreatGB Britain before 1 JanuaryJuly 2024)2022)
• GB certificate (for consignments containing hops and hop products certified in Great Britain after 31 December 2020)
• AoE, if(which you’reis importingused fromfor non-EUimporting countries or exporting GB hops to the EUexporting)

If you need help

Contact defrahorticulture@defra.gov.uk if you have any queries. You’ll receive a response within 5 working days.