Fresh produce industry calls for more detail but welcomes signs of progress
Checks on seafood and some meat products will be removed to make trade easier under a new deal agreed by the UK and the EU.
The new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement will mean some trade can move freely, with burgers and sausages given as an example by the government of products that will benefit. The deal is being reported as given in return for extended fishing rights for the EU in UK waters.
While there is limited detail about exactly what is included, there are hopes it signals the first step in closer alignment of food standards and an easing of trade friction.
A government statement said: “Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely, allowing goods to flow freely again, including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ultimately this could lower food prices and increase choice on supermarket shelves.”
In a press release alongside the news from Number 10, Defra said: ”The government has secured a new SPS agreement that will slash red tape for UK seafood exporters and businesses, and reopen the EU market to GB shellfish from certain domestic waters.”
A spokesperson added that: ”We now need to negotiate the detail of this agreement. Traders must continue to comply with the UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) until further notice.”
The news is an early headline from the UK-EU Summit, held today (19 May) in London, and attended by British PM Keir Starmer and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
There has been a 21 per cent drop in exports and seven per cent fall in imports to the UK since Brexit, the government said, adding that it hopes removing these checks will cut lorry queues and boost trade.
The fresh produce industry has been vocal about the impact of uncertainty around whether new physical checks and fees will come in as planned on 1 July, with calls for the government to provide a definitive answer.
Starmer said: “It’s time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people. We’re ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people’s lives here at home.”
Mixed reaction to new deal
Fresh Produce Consortium chief executive Nigel Jenney described the deal as “one step forwards, two steps back” as he welcomed signs of progress in the reset deal but warned that a lack of detail could see both fresh produce businesses and UK consumers caught in the crossfire of a regulatory crisis.
Jenney said he was cautiously optimistic that the creation of a common SPS area could save UK consumers up to £200mn annually and lower officially imposed on-costs across the supply chain.
However, he stressed that there are serious concerns over lack of clarity and timing, with damaging potential impacts for UK food security and global sourcing. “This could have been avoided if the original FPC UK/EU border solutions had been adopted instead of the ineffective and unaffordable solutions implemented by the previous government,” he said.
Jenney’s main concerns covered the fact that there is no timeline for when the SPS agreement will be implemented, adding that dynamic alignment suggests EU rules will also apply to UK imports of fresh produce sourced from around the world, significantly increasing UK border checks and costs for these goods.
In addition to a clear timetable for the new SPS agreement, the FPC wants to see the 1 July 2025 BTOM implementation deadline for EU fruit and vegetables extended until the new agreement is in place.
It also wants to avoid unnecessary border controls on non-EU sourced fresh produce by adopting long-term derogations from dynamic alignment to facilitate UK sales.
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) welcomed news of the agreement and commended the government for establishing better relations with the EU, but also stressed more detail is still needed. “The AIC notes that wider policy issues such as environmental targets and agricultural policy matters are not included within the scope of the agreement, and we welcome this,” it said in a statement.
“Whilst we need to reduce friction in traded goods in both directions, the UK and devolved nations should continue to be able to set their own agricultural and environmental policies. AIC believes it is important that England’s Precision Breeding Act continues to operate independently, as the EU develops its own ‘New Genomic Techniques’ proposals.
“We note the impacts that could arise from ‘dynamic alignment’ in our SPS regime, including pesticides. It is therefore vital that the full detail is worked through with the government to ensure we understand what this means for business and the wider food system.”
Exclusions from dynamic alignment
The NFU, meanwhile, welcomed the benefits of an improved trading relationship with the EU, while stressing the need to secure vital exclusions from dynamic alignment.
The union’s president Tom Bradshaw said: “The government’s ambition to make it easier for the sector to trade with our largest overseas partner is welcome. Of course, as always in trade agreements, the detail is king and we will be scrutinising the specifics of this deal as they become available in the coming weeks, and as talks continue between the UK government and the EU.”
Early positives of the deal include the outline of an SPS agreement that will reduce barriers for UK farmers and growers to export to the EU, the NFU said. It also noted that while the UK and EU both adhere to similar high food production standards, both sides have agreed there should be limited exceptions to dynamic alignment, but it is yet to be confirmed what this will cover.
The NFU stressed that protecting the Precision Breeding Bill must be top of the government’s agenda.
“We have always sought a strong trading relationship with the EU which reduces friction at a time of global instability,” Bradshaw added. “But since 2020, farming and growing businesses have been faced with significant costs, burdensome paperwork and additional checks in order to trade with partners on the continent.
“The government has clearly listened to these concerns. With the scope to remove Export Health Certificates and cumbersome controls at the border, this deal will deliver many benefits for agri-food exports to the EU.
“However, there remain important questions about what is within the scope of this agreement and, where current rules and regulations do differ, if there will be any exclusions. As negotiations in this area continue, it’s vital that our government safeguards the progress we have made in policy areas such as precision breeding to enable the farming sector to continue to move forward in sustainable, resilient and innovative food production.
“We have always argued that trade with the EU must be based on equivalency. Despite the benefits this deal brings, full dynamic alignment comes at a significant cost of committing to future EU rules, in which the UK will have little say.
“We know today’s announcement is only the start of further negotiations, and we ask our government to ensure any agreements made enable a thriving future for British farming and underpins our nation’s food security.”
