The UK is considering a plan to match EU rules on food safety, animal and plant health to boost trade and experts say that could mean more choice for British but also force the Government to backtrack on animal welfare.
Researchers believe it could boost agriculture and food exports from the UK, while also increasing imports from the continent.
Many seasoned Brexit observers now believe the UK will agree to these demands as this would allow it to free up negotiating capital on more controversial areas of the reset such as youth mobility.
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary would be British firms exporting to the EU, which would see billions of pounds added to the total they add to the economy.
Alignment would boost British food and agricultural exports to the EU, which have fallen 5 per cent since Brexit, by more than a fifth and add billions of pounds to the British economy, according to research by Aston University’s Centre for Business Prosperity and the University of Bristol highlighted by Bain.
The move would also remove the so-called Irish Sea Border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is hated by unionists as they believe checks on food produce separate the two territories and undermine the region’s place in the United Kingdom.
“The process has got a lot better and smoother but there are checks as a result of Northern Ireland having to establish it is in full alignment with EU SPS rules and Great Britain is not.”
British shoppers
Andrew Opie, director of communications at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The UK currently imports around 30 per cent of its food from the EU, and finding ways to reduce trade frictions, such as an SPS agreement, would help reduce costs and improve availability.”
David Henig, a Brexit trade expert, explained that while big European firms exporting to the UK in bulk have been able to navigate the extra costs and red tape since Britain left the EU, many small operators have simply stopped because it is not worth it.
“Only bulk products are able to get into the UK, that is plenty of things but that means plenty is struggling to get in.”
There are concerns that the Government may have to roll back animal welfare policies introduced since Brexit because they go further than the EU rules that the UK must sign up to wholesale in a Swiss-style deal.
Now, The i Paper has learned that the UK may also need to overturn its ban on live animal exports, introduced by the Conservative government in May last year and touted as “only possible now the UK has left the European Union”.
Henig went on: “Live animal exports, I think that’s something that the UK said it was going to get rid of and if you did this SPS deal, I don’t think you could.
“The French would think it is important to them [to oppose a ban], the UK would be at the mercy of intra-EU discussions except it will not be at the table to influence them.”
Pets on holiday
British Veterinary Association junior vice president Rob Williams said the Swiss deal with the EU which allows pets to “travel using a pet passport without the need for an animal health certificate”.
“Holidaymakers would also benefit from reductions in the cost and bureaucracy of procuring an animal health certificate.”
The apparent stunt appeared to be designed to highlight the practical impacts of Brexit for British people.
“You could safely take your sandwich into Europe,” according to Henig.
Gene editing of crops
It is likely that the UK would have to U-turn on this change as part of an SPS deal unless it can get a carve-out in negotiations.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has however warned against fully aligning with EU rules as “greater regulatory control and discretion over UK farm practice” will “help drive growth”.
A Government spokesperson said: “We have been clear that a veterinary or SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides.
“The terms of any agreement would be subject to negotiations, the UK and EU already have similarly high standards and we are determined to work to tackle barriers to trade.”
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