The Labour government is working on a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the European Union. The six-week consultation is intended to clarify how agriculture and horticulture businesses can prepare for potential customs changes.
The proposed arrangement aims to make trade faster, cheaper, and simpler. This involves reducing customs checks, quality certificates, and other administrative obligations that have arisen since the United Kingdom left the EU.
A Quarter Less
The agreement should also facilitate smoother transit of food, animals, plants, and other agricultural products between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Negotiators hope this will restore trade flows that have become more difficult in recent years.
Promotion
Since 2018, exports of food and agricultural products to the European Union have declined by about 22 percent. This represents a real drop of roughly four billion Pounds Sterling.
The British government aims for the possible introduction of the new arrangement around mid-2027. In the meantime, negotiations with the European Union will continue, and businesses will be advised on how to prepare for the changes.
Backtracking
At the same time, criticism has been voiced about the Labour government’s plans. Some commentators view the negotiations as a broader ‘reset’ of the Brexit rules and argue that London is essentially backtracking on parts of the departure from the European Union.
For British farmers and food companies, the focus is primarily on practical consequences. They must prepare for adjustments in trade rules that could affect their exports, imports, and logistics in the coming years.
Highly Sensitive
Many British farmers, like most other British citizens, supported Brexit and leaving the EU ten years ago. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that they experience mainly disadvantages from it.
Recent opinion polls show that the majority now regret Brexit. Yet in British politics, it is extremely sensitive to advocate anything resembling a return to ‘the meat pots of Europe.’ This is undoubtedly a key reason why Prime Minister Starmer is first allowing British farmers themselves to say what changes are needed to the UK-European customs rules.