Hi,

I was wondering about the rules of whether it is legal to transport orchids
within the EU?

More specifically, would it be legal to carry-on a Phal hybrid in bloom or
in spike on an airplane flight between Poland (which is now in the EU) and
France? Could someone doing that get into trouble? Would paperwork be
necessary or advisable? Which agency could one contact to find out for sure
about customs regulations (if any) pertaining to transport of orchids within
the EU?

Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)

I am asking for a friend of mine who is considering whether or not to do
this.

Thanks,
Joanna

Hi Joanna,

In the EU you are allowed to freely transport most
houseplants without documentation for your
personal use. It used to be 6 but think that has
been relaxed .

They have to be disease free and not on Cites.
They should not be growing in soil!
Hybrid Phals are not on Cites.

How to transport depends a bit on the flight! I
have given a large cymbidium plants to the cabin
staff to transport on the vacant back seat! It
might be safer to pack the blooms up with tissue
paper and supporting sticks and pack it in sturdy
hand luggage. Some low cost carriers migh not be
so obliging.
Or cut the spike off, and pack that somewhere it
will not get crushed and use the flowers as vase
decoration.

Phals are very sensitive to temperature drop so do
_not_ let the plant go into the luggage hold to
get chilled.

Good luck.
Alan






"J Fortuna" wrote
in message
...
Hi,

I was wondering about the rules of whether it is
legal to transport orchids
within the EU?

More specifically, would it be legal to carry-on
a Phal hybrid in bloom or
in spike on an airplane flight between Poland
(which is now in the EU) and
France? Could someone doing that get into
trouble? Would paperwork be
necessary or advisable? Which agency could one
contact to find out for sure
about customs regulations (if any) pertaining to
transport of orchids within
the EU?

Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad
idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an
airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)

I am asking for a friend of mine who is
considering whether or not to do
this.

Thanks,
Joanna

Hi again,

Oops...the info says 5 plants.
It might be worth printing off the info and your
friend taking it with them when they travel.

Try the following link

http://tinyurl.com/3tzom

From a UK perspective!

Pasting info from above...

PLANTS


Plants may not (not) be imported from outside the
EU, except from the Euro-Mediterranean zone (see
above). In this case, up to 5 plants may be
imported provided they are intended for personal
use free from signs of pests and diseases.
The penalties for those caught with illicit
material include and unlimited fine and/or two
years imprisonment. Please not that for the import
of animal products, Norway is considered as an EU
member state.

Thank you very much for your informative replies!
Joanna

"TQPL" wrote in message
...
Hi again,

Oops...the info says 5 plants.
It might be worth printing off the info and your
friend taking it with them when they travel.

Try the following link

http://tinyurl.com/3tzom

From a UK perspective!

Pasting info from above...

PLANTS


Plants may not (not) be imported from outside the
EU, except from the Euro-Mediterranean zone (see
above). In this case, up to 5 plants may be
imported provided they are intended for personal
use free from signs of pests and diseases.
The penalties for those caught with illicit
material include and unlimited fine and/or two
years imprisonment. Please not that for the import
of animal products, Norway is considered as an EU
member state.

J Fortuna wrote:

More specifically, would it be legal to carry-on a Phal hybrid in bloom or
in spike on an airplane flight between Poland (which is now in the EU) and
France? Could someone doing that get into trouble? Would paperwork be
necessary or advisable?

Technically, there should be no problem and no paperwork required.
I don't know anyone who's done it though . I'd take a receipt for
the plant with me just in case.

I've had plants *sent* to me (in Germany) from the UK, no problems.

Which agency could one contact to find out for sure
about customs regulations (if any) pertaining to transport of orchids within
the EU?

Customs, Polish & French.

Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)

I can't think of any.

Nina
--
C'est les microbes qui auront le dernier mot.
Louis Pasteur
http://www.chaotropic.net

Nina Baltes writes:
Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)
I can't think of any.

The air inside an aircraft is extremely dry. Try providing moisture to
the plant.

Geir

TQPL wrote:
Hi again,

Oops...the info says 5 plants.

This is for import from *outside* the EU!

Plants may not (not) be imported from outside the
EU, except from the Euro-Mediterranean zone (see
above). In this case, up to 5 plants may be
imported provided they are intended for personal
use free from signs of pests and diseases.

There is no import /export *inside* the EU, that's the whole point
of the arrangement .

Phal hybrids are still under CITES btw, there are just exemptions
for large shipments of hybrids.

Nina
--
C'est les microbes qui auront le dernier mot.
Louis Pasteur
http://www.chaotropic.net

Hi Joanna,

In the EU you are allowed to freely transport most
houseplants without documentation for your
personal use. It used to be 6 but think that has
been relaxed .

They have to be disease free and not on Cites.
They should not be growing in soil!
Hybrid Phals are not on Cites.

How to transport depends a bit on the flight! I
have given a large cymbidium plants to the cabin
staff to transport on the vacant back seat! It
might be safer to pack the blooms up with tissue
paper and supporting sticks and pack it in sturdy
hand luggage. Some low cost carriers migh not be
so obliging.
Or cut the spike off, and pack that somewhere it
will not get crushed and use the flowers as vase
decoration.

Phals are very sensitive to temperature drop so do
_not_ let the plant go into the luggage hold to
get chilled.

Good luck.
Alan






"J Fortuna" wrote
in message
...
Hi,

I was wondering about the rules of whether it is
legal to transport orchids
within the EU?

More specifically, would it be legal to carry-on
a Phal hybrid in bloom or
in spike on an airplane flight between Poland
(which is now in the EU) and
France? Could someone doing that get into
trouble? Would paperwork be
necessary or advisable? Which agency could one
contact to find out for sure
about customs regulations (if any) pertaining to
transport of orchids within
the EU?

Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad
idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an
airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)

I am asking for a friend of mine who is
considering whether or not to do
this.

Thanks,
Joanna

J Fortuna wrote:

More specifically, would it be legal to carry-on a Phal hybrid in bloom or
in spike on an airplane flight between Poland (which is now in the EU) and
France? Could someone doing that get into trouble? Would paperwork be
necessary or advisable?

Technically, there should be no problem and no paperwork required.
I don't know anyone who's done it though . I'd take a receipt for
the plant with me just in case.

I've had plants *sent* to me (in Germany) from the UK, no problems.

Which agency could one contact to find out for sure
about customs regulations (if any) pertaining to transport of orchids within
the EU?

Customs, Polish & French.

Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)

I can't think of any.

Nina
--
C'est les microbes qui auront le dernier mot.
Louis Pasteur
http://www.chaotropic.net

TQPL wrote:
Hi again,

Oops...the info says 5 plants.

This is for import from *outside* the EU!

Plants may not (not) be imported from outside the
EU, except from the Euro-Mediterranean zone (see
above). In this case, up to 5 plants may be
imported provided they are intended for personal
use free from signs of pests and diseases.

There is no import /export *inside* the EU, that's the whole point
of the arrangement .

Phal hybrids are still under CITES btw, there are just exemptions
for large shipments of hybrids.

Nina
--
C'est les microbes qui auront le dernier mot.
Louis Pasteur
http://www.chaotropic.net

Nina Baltes writes:
Seperate but related question: Would it be a bad idea for other reasons to
carry-on a plant in bloom or in spike on an airplane? (other than the risk
of snapping a spike during such travel)
I can't think of any.

The air inside an aircraft is extremely dry. Try providing moisture to
the plant.

Geir