UK and EU agree major agri-food deal

Removal of plant health certificates, organic certifications and routine border checks on fresh produce are among a raft of major changes that will benefit the produce industry, announced under the new EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) deal. 

Additional detail for the deal, which was announced yesterday (19 May) at the first EU-UK summit held in London, has now been released, and includes a new UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary zone, which will free up trade on a number of produce categories. 

The changes include:

- removal of plant health certificates, saving businesses around £25 per certificate;

- removal of Certificates of Inspection for organic products that will save over £120 per consignment, as well as the removal of marketing standards certification requirements saving businesses hours of extra paperwork;

- Removal of routine border checks on agri-food products would stop, so fresh produce can hit supermarket shelves faster, with less paperwork and fewer costs;

- routine checks on certain imports from the EU for products such as milk, dairy, eggs, red meat, plants for planting, potatoes, will also be removed, reducing the cost to bring these products into the UK;

- British products that were banned, such as fresh sausages and burgers, certain shellfish from domestic waters, and seed potatoes will be able to resume trade to the EU.

In a joint statement, leaders Sir Keir Starmer and President Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Reaffirming our shared values and our commitment to deeper cooperation against the backdrop of an evolving and complex global geopolitical landscape, we agreed a new Strategic Partnership between the UK and EU. We agreed this would build on the stable foundation for our relationship set by the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and reaffirmed our commitment to their full, timely and faithful implementation.”

The new deal will cover the whole of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in scope, and mean that vast majority of movements of animals, animal products, plants, and plant products can take place without certificates or controls.

With no date given for when the changes will come in, the statement said both parties have agreed to progress swiftly. They have also agreed an annual summit “to strengthen our relationship” and “drive progress on a renewed agenda for European Union-United Kingdom cooperation”.

While the news will benefit UK-EU trade, trade body Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) warned of the impact on produce imports from the rest of the world.

Nigel Jenney, FPC chief executive, said: “Whilst we have resolved the EU border position, we have moved the problem and the cost to non-EU goods. What we have saved on one hand we have lost on the other.”

Moroccan tomatoes and citrus from South Africa are examples of products that may now cost more to import, according to the FPC. One in two oranges imported into the UK comes from either Egypt or South Africa. While citrus fruits can be sourced from Europe, prices may rise unless farmers plant more crops to meet extra demand, the body said.

“Currently less than five per cent of citrus fruits imported into the UK are subject to checks at British ports. This could rise to as much as 100 per cent once Britain aligns itself with EU regulations,” said the FPC.

Jenney added: “It’s not like just saying ‘Oh I’ll buy it from Europe instead’. It’s not available in Europe, which is why we source it from around the world.”