Renew MEP Christine Singer has asked the European Commission to examine whether the EU's plant passport regime is proportionate for small-scale, local exchanges of ornamental plants between horticultural businesses, warning that current rules impose the same bureaucratic burden on short-term regional swaps as on cross-border trade.
In a written parliamentary question submitted on 15 June 2026, Singer highlighted that under Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, small horticultural firms that help each other out with small quantities of plants within local delivery networks must comply with the same traceability and documentation requirements as large-scale international shipments. She also pointed to the anomaly of businesses with separate production and sales arms effectively having to issue plant passports to themselves.
whether it has assessed the proportionality of current requirements for local and small-scale transfers; whether it sees scope for a simplified regime for short-term regional exchanges without compromising plant health goals; and whether it intends to review the plant passport system for small and medium-sized horticultural businesses as part of ongoing simplification initiatives.
Singer's question reflects a tension between the EU's robust plant health framework — designed to prevent the spread of pests and diseases — and the administrative burden it places on micro-enterprises and local supply networks. The Commission is expected to respond within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal whether it is open to tailoring rules for small-scale operators.
If the Commission acknowledges the issue, it could lead to a targeted exemption or lighter regime for local exchanges, reducing compliance costs for small horticultural businesses. Conversely, a defence of the current rules would prioritise uniform traceability but risk criticism for over-regulation. The question also feeds into broader EU simplification efforts under the 'Better Regulation' agenda, which the Commission has pledged to pursue.