Guidance

Application for approved importer status for the commercial importation into England of cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania and Ukraine - privacy notice

Updated 30 September 2024

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-and-plant-heath-agency-privacy-notices/application-for-approved-importer-status-for-the-commercial-importation-into-england-of-cats-dogs-and-ferrets-originating-in-or-dispatched-from-belar

The organisation collecting your data

The data controller is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), an Executive Agency of Defra, will collect your data.

If you have any questions about how Defra and APHA use your data or your associated rights, email Defra’s Data Protection Manager data.protection@defra.gov.uk.

The Data Protection Officer responsible for monitoring that Defra is meeting the requirements of the legislation can be contacted by email at: DefraGroupDataProtectionOfficer@Defra.gov.uk.

How your data has been obtained

We have obtained your data directly from you in respect of your application to commercially import into England cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.

Why Defra is using your data

To provide approval to importers who wish to commercially import into England cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.

The data will allow APHA to ensure that the additional requirements placed on these movements under the powers of Article 29 of the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 are met and that the biosecurity risk remains at an acceptable level.

The legal bases for APHA’s processing of your data are as follows:

Article 6(1)(c) of the UK GDPR - the processing of personal data is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject; and

Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR – the processing of personal data is necessary for the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

In respect of the above legal bases, the ‘legal obligation’ and ‘official authority’ are provided by the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011.

A law-based requirement to provide personal data

If you wish to commercially import into England cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, you are required by law to supply the data requested in the Approved Importer status application form.

In exercise of the powers conferred by regulation 29(1) of the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs declares special measures to be necessary in England in order to contain the risk to human or animal health and the risk of non-compliant animals entering Great Britain. Therefore, a person is not allowed to import into England cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine unless they are authorised by the Secretary of State to import such animals. .

What happens if you do not provide the necessary data

You will not be approved to import into England cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine.

’# Who Defra shares your data with

APHA will share a list of approved importers with a select number of transport companies involved in the transport of animals to Great Britain. This ensures that only approved importers are able to import into England cats, dogs and ferrets originating in or dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine.

How long Defra holds personal data

APHA has a retention period of three years for personal data relating to imports. Where there is the requirement to publish data on GOV.UK, the personal data will be held by APHA and published for the duration of the approval.

Your rights

Find out about your rights under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint about the use of your data at any time. Make a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO – the data protection supervisory authority).

Defra’s Personal Information Charter

Defra’s Personal Information Charter, which also applies to APHA’s use of personal data, explains more about your rights over your data. This Charter broadly sets out Defra’s standards for requesting and storing personal information.

Back to top