EU Plant Health Rules: Celery, Carrots

Do celery and carrots from China need a phytosanitary certificate?

Yes: fresh carrots and leafy celery from China need a phytosanitary certificate to enter the EU. A phytosanitary certificate is an official document, issued by the plant protection authorities of the exporting country, that states the consignment has been inspected and meets the importing country’s plant health requirements.

The legal basis is Annex XI, Part A of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, which lists the plants and plant products that need a certificate and the third countries of origin or dispatch concerned.

Product	CN code	Origin covered	Rule
Carrots, fresh or chilled (with other root and tubercle vegetables)	0706 10 00	Third countries other than Switzerland	Phytosanitary certificate required (Annex XI, Part A)
Leafy vegetables of Apium graveolens (celery), fresh or chilled	0709 40 00	Third countries other than Switzerland	Phytosanitary certificate required (Annex XI, Part A)

The European Commission’s DG SANTE explains that the certificate is there to show that the goods are properly inspected, free from quarantine pests, within the requirements for regulated non-quarantine pests and practically free from other pests, and in line with the plant health requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. The exporting country’s national plant protection authorities issue it.

What is the soil limit for imported carrots?

The soil limit for carrots is 1% by net weight. Annex VII, point 12 of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 covers “root and tubercle vegetables, other than tubers of Solanum tuberosum L.”, with CN 0706 10 00 among the listed codes, from third countries other than Switzerland. The requirement is an “official statement that the consignment or lot does not contain more than 1 % by net weight of soil and growing medium”.

This is an official statement made by the exporting country’s plant protection authorities, not a declaration by the seller. In practice, it means the soil content of the lot has to be low enough for the authority to make that statement before export. How carrots are washed, graded and packed for each order is covered on our page for carrot washing, grading and packing.

What official statement does leafy celery need?

Leafy celery needs an official statement on two leaf miner species. Annex VII, point 28 of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 covers leafy vegetables of Apium graveolens L. under CN 0709 40 00 (together with certain cut flowers and basil) from third countries. The official statement must confirm that the leafy vegetables either:

Option	Wording in point 28
(a)	Originate in a country recognised as being free from Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard) and Nemorimyza maculosa (Malloch) in accordance with the relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures
(b)	Immediately prior to their export, have been officially inspected and found free from Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard) and Nemorimyza maculosa (Malloch)

Which option applies depends on what the exporting country’s plant protection authority can officially state. Export details for fresh celery from Shandong are confirmed on enquiry.

Are celery or carrots on the EU list of increased checks?

No: neither celery nor carrots from China appears on the EU list of increased official controls in the consolidated text of Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 dated 30 June 2026. That regulation sets temporary higher frequencies of identity and physical checks for named food and feed from named countries.

Annex of Regulation (EU) 2019/1793	Entries for China (consolidated text 30.06.2026)
Annex I (increased official controls)	Groundnuts (peanuts) and groundnut products; crushed or ground sweet peppers; tea
Annex II (special conditions)	Arachidonic acid oil

The consolidated text contains no entry for CN 0709 40 or 0706 10. The list is amended often, so importers should check the latest consolidated version before each season. Consolidated texts are documentation tools without legal effect; the authentic version is the one published in the Official Journal.

What should an importer check on the phytosanitary certificate?

An importer should check that the certificate is issued by the exporting country’s plant protection authorities and that it carries the official statements required for the product. For these two crops, that means:

Product	Check on the certificate
Carrots (CN 0706 10 00)	Official statement on soil and growing medium not exceeding 1% of net weight (Annex VII, point 12)
Leafy celery (CN 0709 40 00)	Official statement on Liriomyza sativae and Nemorimyza maculosa, option (a) or (b) (Annex VII, point 28)
Both	Product description and CN code consistent with the invoice and packing list

Plant health is one part of EU import rules. Residue limits and marketing standards are covered on our page on EU import requirements for fresh vegetables, and how the document list is agreed for each order is explained on our page on export documents by market. The document list is confirmed after the enquiry.

Key takeaways

• Carrots (CN 0706 10 00) and leafy celery (CN 0709 40 00) from China need a phytosanitary certificate under Annex XI, Part A of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.
• Carrots need an official statement that soil and growing medium do not exceed 1% of net weight (Annex VII, point 12).
• Leafy celery needs an official statement on freedom from Liriomyza sativae and Nemorimyza maculosa (Annex VII, point 28).
• Neither crop from China is listed in Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 as consolidated on 30 June 2026; check the current version.
• The certificate is issued by the exporting country’s plant protection authorities, not by the seller.

To request documents and a quote for EU delivery, send product, quantity and destination port on WhatsApp at +86 19931677117 or through the request a quote form.