Horticulture Crop Protection field questions in the face of SPS delays and grower confusion
Negotiations are currently underway over the forthcoming sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, covering food, feed, plant health, animal health and pesticide regulation.
The deal, which will re-alignment a range of standards for fresh produce and remove paperwork, is hoped to reduce border friction, costs and delays for agri-food trade.
However, the SPS process has faced delays, with many growers confused about the impacts of the agreement on plant protection regulation in the UK.
Ahead of the agreement, which is slated to take effect in mid-2027, Horticulture Crop Protection (HCP) have debunked myths regarding the potential impact of the SPS on future regulation of plant protection products (PPPs), otherwise known as pesticides.
HCP are the organisation set up to take over plant protection applications after AHDB Horticulture was wound down. Their advice only deals with what is factual and known at the time of writing, as no update has been issued from DEFRA since 30 July 2026.
Myth: ‘The UK will lose all control over regulation of plant protection products.’
HCP said that while the UK will no longer be able to make decisions on the approval or withdrawal of active substances (as active substances are approved at EU level under the EU system), product authorisations will remain a national responsibility, meaning the UK will still be able to authorise PPPs for use here.
Myth: ’Off-label authorisations (EAMUs) will be made by the EU, therefore HCP’s services will become irrelevant’
As with on-label uses of PPPs, decisions about EAMU authorisations are taken at a national regulatory level rather than by the EU. In the UK, these decisions are made by the Health and Safety Directorate (HSE), therefore under SPS, HCP will continue to make EAMU applications to HSE on behalf of UK growers.
Myth: ‘Emergency Authorisations will no longer be possible’
Emergency Authorisations remain available under the EU regime where a serious plant health threat cannot be controlled by other reasonable means. As with EAMUs, national regulators (HSE for the UK) determine whether an Emergency Authorisation should be granted, HCP said.
Myth: ‘Growers will immediately lose access to plant protection products that have been withdrawn in the EU’
Under SPS, it is expected that changes to pesticide regulation will be managed through implementation arrangements and potentially transitional measures, according to HCP. Impacts on individual PPPs will depend on final negotiations and regulatory decisions.
Myth: ‘The SPS reset is only about cross border trade paperwork.’
The agreement is expected to cover pesticide active substances, maximum residue levels (MRLs), biocides and wider SPS legislation.
Myth: ‘There are no benefits for growers regarding PPPs under alignment with the EU’
While it is expected that the UK will lose access to some plant protection products through the process, HCP added that alignment could improve access to some crop protection technologies available in the EU and reduce trade friction for horticultural and agricultural businesses.
Myth: ‘British growers will immediately have access to all the products that are available in the EU, through mutual recognition arrangements’
Although the active substance approvals in the EU would also apply in the UK, any products would still need to be authorised by HSE for specific crops, before being available to growers. UK conditions can impact on risk assessments, potentially still leading to different decisions to those of other countries in the EU.
