Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/20722 establishes uniform conditions as regards protective measures against pests of plants. Annexes III, VI, VII, IX, X, XI and XII to that Implementing Regulation set out inter alia the list of protected zones and the respective protected zone quarantine pests; the list of plants, plant products and other objects whose introduction into the Union territory is prohibited, together with the third countries, groups of third countries or specific areas of third countries to which the prohibition applies; the list of plants, plant products and other objects originating from third countries, and the corresponding special requirements for their introduction into the Union territory; the list of plants, plant products and other objects, originating from third countries or within the Union territory, whose introduction into certain protected zones is prohibited; the list of plants, plant products and other objects to be introduced into, or moved within protected zones and the corresponding special requirements for protected zones; the list of plants, plant products and other objects, as well as the respective third countries of origin or dispatch, for which phytosanitary certificates are required; and the list of plants, plant products and other objects for which a phytosanitary certificate is required for their introduction into a protected zone from certain third countries of origin or dispatch.

In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (Withdrawal Agreement), and in particular Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol, Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, as well as the Commission acts based on it, applies to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement.

The United Kingdom and parts of the territory of that third country are listed in Annexes III, IX and X to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 as protected zones. References to the United Kingdom in those Annexes should therefore be replaced by references to Northern Ireland in all cases where Northern Ireland is part of those protected zones.

In addition, the United Kingdom has provided the necessary guarantees required by Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 in order for the United Kingdom to be listed with other European third countries in Annexes VI and VII, in Part A of Annex XI and Annnex XII to Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, without prejudice to the application of Union law to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol.

The territory of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom was recognised as temporary protected zone in respect to Xanthomonas arboricola pv.pruni (Smith) Vauterin et al., Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard), Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) and Thaumetopoea processionea L. until 30 April 2020. The United Kingdom has submitted information that Northern Ireland appears to continue to be free from those protected zone quarantine pests. The recognition of that temporary protected zone should therefore be extended until 30 April 2023.

Annexes III, VI, VII, IX, X, XI and XII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 should therefore be amended accordingly.

As the transition period provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement ends on 31 December 2020, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2021.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,