Registration with the Official Register of Professional Operators (RUOP)

Starting in 2019, in order to strengthen the protection of plants from harmful organisms, European regulations have introduced new obligations for all actors in the chain, from those who import to those who propagate and market plants, profoundly changing the organisation of the Plant Health Services, the surveillance procedures and the direct responsibility of producers on plant health.
The new Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 established in particular the Official Register of Professional Operators (RUOP) in which the Provincial Plant Health Service registers Professional Operators (POs) who:

• introduce or move into the Union plants, plant products and other objects for which a phytosanitary certificate or plant passport is required, respectively;
• issue the Plant Passport
• apply to the Plant Protection Service for the issue of export, re-export, pre-export certificates;
• are authorised to apply the ISPM 15 marks on wood packaging.

Subject to formal application, each PO is only registered once by the regional/provincial Plant Protection Service responsible for its registered office.

On the other hand, POs are exempt from RUOP registration if they

• supply exclusively and directly to end users small quantities of plants, plant products and other objects, by means other than distance selling contracts;
• supply exclusively and directly to end users small quantities of seeds, excluding those requiring a phytosanitary certificate in the case of introduction into the EU;
• carry out a professional activity concerning plants, plant products and other objects that is limited to their transport on behalf of another professional;
• engage exclusively in the transport of objects of all kinds with the use of wooden packaging material.

When submitting an application, Professional Operators must meet the following requirements

- have their registered office in the province of Trento

- be in possession of a VAT number

- be registered in the Register of Companies at the competent Chamber of Commerce.

The regulations in force provide for the registration in the RUOP - Official Register of Professional Operators - of persons who

• bring plants, plant products and other objects for which a phytosanitary certificate is required into the Union
• move plants, plant products and other objects for which a plant passport is required into the Union
• issue a plant passport in accordance with Article 89 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031;
• apply to the competent authority to issue phytosanitary certificates for export, re-export and/or pre-export;
• are authorised to apply the ISPM15 mark in accordance with Article 96 or to repair wood packaging material in accordance with Article 97 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031;
• are authorised to issue any other attestation referred to in Article 99 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, which provides information pursuant to Article 45 or 55 of the same Regulation, or whose activities concern the relevant plants in the demarcated areas.

In addition to the aforementioned entities provided for in Article 65 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Official Technical Document No. 4 issued by the Servizio Fitosanitario Nazionale provides for registration in the RUOP for:

• the Professional Operators who exclusively supply plants, plant products and other objects to end users by means of direct sales carried out at agricultural markets or other markets that take place outside the territory under the competence of the Regional Plant Protection Service where the operator is based;
• Professional Operators selling through distance contracts;
• seed companies identified in accordance with Legislative Decree No 2021 of 2 February 2021;
• producers of ware potatoes (excluding those selling directly to end users), as well as collective collection and dispatch centres located in their production areas;
• producers of fruit of Citrus L., Fortunella Swingle, Poncirus Raf. and their hybrids marketed in bulk;
• turfgrass producers;
• greenskeepers" that reside/sell plants to professional operators and/or in protected areas (in the latter case even if sold directly to end users), or sell plants to end users by means of distance contracts;
• fruit and forestry plant service companies that sell plants or propagation material to POs, that use distance contracts for sales, or that handle plants destined for protected zones (SPAs).

When submitting an application, the Professional Operators described above must meet the following requirements

• have their registered office in the Province of Trento
• be in possession of a VAT number
• be registered in the Register of Companies at the competent CCIAA (Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture);
• meet the requirements of Ministerial Decree 333987 of 27/07/2022 "Requirements, equipment and fulfilments of Professional Operators registered with the RUOP pursuant to Chapter VII of Legislative Decree No. 19 of 2 February 2021
• there must be no grounds for disqualification, suspension or prohibition pursuant to Article 67 of Legislative Decree 159/2001.

Subjects must complete and sign the application form and the annexes relating to the activities for which it is requested. After affixing the 16.00 Euro revenue stamp, the form (accompanied by a copy of a valid identity document on the reverse side) must then be submitted to the Agriculture Service using one of the following methods

• sent by PEC to the address: serv.agricoltura@pec.provincia.tn.it
• sent by ordinary mail
• hand delivery to the Agriculture Service or to the Peripheral Agricultural Units of the Autonomous Province of Trento.

• RUOP registration application
• Annex 1 - Farm Centres: information on farm centres owned
• Annex 2 - Import: information related to the import of plants, plant products and other objects from Third Countries (non-EU)
• Annex 3 - Export: Information related to the export of plants, plant products and other objects for which a phytosanitary certificate is requested for Third Countries (non-EU).

Preliminary investigation with documental control and possible company inspection, and subsequent registration following Determination of the Director of the Agricultural Service following the positive outcome of the envisaged checks.