Common Health Entry Document (CHED)

What is CHED?

Common Health Entry Document (CHED) is a mandatory document that must be presented at border control post in order to carry out security checks when these goods enter the EU market:

• animals, 
• products of animal origin, 
• products of plant origin, 
• feed and food products.

The list of goods is given in Article 47 (1) of Regulation 2017/625 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products. 

There are four types of the CHED, depending on the goods for which it is issued: CHED-A, CHED-P, CHED-PP, CHED-D. The templates and entries are set out in the Regulation 2019/1715 laying down rules for the functioning of the information management system for official controls IMSOC. See the template of CHED-PP as an example attached in pdf.

When and how to issue it?

Border control post (BCP) must be notified 24-hours before the arrival of the consignment by generating CHED on the European Commission’s online Trade Control and Expert System TRACES, which is a component of IMSOC.

Information that must be provided in CHED: description of the goods allowing their identification and the calculation of fees (e.g. Combined Nomenclature code and title, quantity, number of packages, etc.), countries of origin and dispatch, consignor, consignee, operator responsible for the consignment, BCP, estimated date and time of arrival of the consignment at the BCP, place of destination, means of transport, etc.

Accompanying documents must be submitted as well: a copy of the health/ phytosanitary certificate, catch certificates for fishery products, commercial documents (e.g. invoice, packing list), etc.

Who must do that?

CHED is issued by the operator responsible for the consignment, who is the importer or acts on behalf of the importer. The operator must have an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number and be registered with the responsible authority (e.g., Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Ireland) and on TRACES.

What if BCP detects non-compliance?

In case of documentary errors or physical check failure, the products can be returned to the country of origin, destroyed, or treated in a certain manner.