
Article 1 
This Decision establishes the conditions for the recognition of electronic phytosanitary certificates issued by the national plant protection organisations of third countries.
Article 2 

1. A phytosanitary certificate containing the information included in the model phytosanitary certificate set out in the Annex to the International Plant Protection Convention (‘IPPC’) shall be recognised as an electronic phytosanitary certificate provided that all of the following requirements are met:
(a) it is issued by the national plant protection organisation of a third country in one of the following systems:
((i)) in the Traces system,
((ii)) in a Member State's national certification system,
((iii)) through a third country's electronic certification system capable of sharing data with the Traces system or a Member State's national certification system;
(b) it is based on the UN/CEFACT standard and uses XML format;
(c) it is signed by the authorised officer with an advanced or a qualified electronic signature as defined respectively in points (11) and (12) of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014;
(d) it bears the advanced or qualified electronic seal, as defined respectively in points (26) and (27) of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, of the issuing national plant protection organisation or the advanced or qualified electronic signature of the legal representative of the issuing national plant protection organisation;
(e) it uses a qualified electronic time stamp as defined in point (34) of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014.
2. Where the electronic phytosanitary certificate is issued in accordance with point (a)(iii) of paragraph 1, Member States and the Commission shall design their receiving system in such a way that it acknowledges the exchange of data through the advanced or qualified electronic seal of the issuing national plant protection organisation or the advanced or qualified electronic signature of the legal representative of the issuing national plant protection organisation. In this case, the condition referred to in point (c) of paragraph 1 shall not apply.
3. By way of derogation from the requirements of points (c) and (d) of paragraph 1 and for a period of 12 months ending on 15 October 2019, a phytosanitary certificate shall be recognised as an electronic phytosanitary certificate where it is signed by the authorised officer by means of an electronic signature as defined in point (10) of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and where it bears the electronic seal of the issuing national plant protection organisation as defined in point (25) of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 or the electronic signature of the legal representative of the issuing national plant protection organisation.
Article 3 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 15 October 2018.
For the Commission
Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS
Member of the Commission