The government revealed yesterday that it is suspending the introduction of extra border checks on live animal imports from the EU, and on specific animal and plant goods from Ireland, to support British businesses and ease trade ahead of its new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) deal with the EU.
The deal, announced in May after months of negotiations, will establish a UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary zone which aims to cut costs and red tape for businesses that export and import from the EU, reducing delays at the border, and making food trade with the UK’s biggest market potentially cheaper and easier.
Under the agreement, border checks on live animal imports from the EU, as well as on certain plant and animal goods arriving from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (termed non-qualifying goods) will not be required, with the government stating that their implementation would be disproportionate.
Some live animals imported from the EU will continue to be inspected at their place of destination based on a series of risk factors. Non-qualifying goods arriving from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland can continue to enter the UK without physical inspection, and will continue to require pre-notification and certification in some instances.
The government stressed that protecting UK biosecurity remains a key priority, and risk-based surveillance will continue to manage the biosecurity threats of these products.
“Our deal with the EU will boost British businesses as we cut cumbersome bureaucracy and make trading food with our biggest market both cheaper and easier,” Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman.
“Protecting the UK’s biosecurity is essential, and our partnership with the EU will ensure this while delivering for working people as part of our Plan for Change.”
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said it was positive that the government is looking to cut red tape, but noted that the benefits of the suspension will be limited to livestock importers and growers who trade via Ireland.
“There is nothing about restarting UK live animal exports for breeding purposes, a small but high-value trade which was halted after Brexit due to a lack of inspection points in the EU,” he commented.
“Meanwhile, horticulture businesses importing plants for planting from mainland EU will continue to be subject to disproportionate border checks at UK Border Control Posts until negotiations conclude, which are costly, cause long delays and pose an infection risk.
“The government must address this imbalance if it truly wants to support British farm businesses.”
NAM Implications:
- We are talking about bureaucracy here:
- i.e. ‘Ways of preventing vs. ways of permitting’
- Unfortunately, it will require more than a ‘remainder’ of regulatory ‘gaps’ to ensure the design of a workable system of ‘making trading food with our biggest market both cheaper and easier’.
- Fingers crossed…
