UK and EU Draft Deal Aims to Remove Post-Brexit Food Checks

The United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed a draft deal to remove many post-Brexit checks on food and agricultural trade, ahead of a UK–EU summit on November 20. The 200-page draft text for the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement has been circulated to EU nations in Brussels for consideration at a meeting on Wednesday.

The deal would remove the need for £200 Export Health Certificates, £25 phytosanitary certificates, inspector fees, organic certificates, some port fees, sampling fees and other checks for exports and imports between the UK and the EU. It would also remove routine health checks on EU dairy, fish, eggs and red meat entering Great Britain.

“The food deal is the most significant part of the so-called Brexit reset agreed so far.”

UK exports of fresh sausages, burgers, shellfish from domestic waters and seed potatoes would be able to resume. Customs controls would remain in place even if the food-health checks are removed.

The government claims the UK economy will eventually see £5.1 billion worth of annual benefits from the agreement. The UK will also commit to observing and adapting to existing EU regulations on plant, animal and food trade standards, a process known as dynamic alignment.

The agreement would allow UK pet passports to be used for travel into the EU. Areas where England has diverged from EU rules, such as precision breeding of plants, are covered by transition arrangements while the EU’s new regulations come into force.

A draft does not change the rules at the border immediately. The British government said on October 28 that negotiations were advanced and implementation dates would be announced later.