The government has said it is working towards a mid-2027 start date for the new agreement, and is urging agri-food businesses to start preparing now. Preparing will be difficult as it’s not clear what exactly you need to prepare for.
Negotiations are underway and probably wont conclude until later this year and the government will have to pass legislation. Nevertheless, spending some time thinking about what alignment could mean will help us to get the best deal for you.
The EU rules that Great Britain will be aligning with will apply to all domestic production meaning that, even if exporting is not part of your business, you may also need to adapt your business once the agreement comes into force.
Key changes
Some of the main changes we anticipate include:
- Removal of routine border checks for imports and exports of food and agricultural products between GB and the EU.
- Alignment with the EU animal health frameworks. This will require regular animal health visits by a vet for all animal keepers as well as changes to the way that exotic diseases are managed. Read our explainer (opens in a new tab).
- Alignment with EU rules for plant protection products. This will require compliance with EU residue limits in food and adherence to EU rules governing the marketing and use of PPPs. We anticipate this will result in changes to GB MRLs as well as the Active Substances available to growers in GB and their conditions of use. Read our explainer (opens in a new tab).
- Alignment with EU biocidal product regulation. This will require adherence to EU rules governing the use of biocidal products. Agricultural uses of Creosote (posts, poles, and fencing) are no longer permitted in the EU.
- Alignment with EU organic regulations. This will require organic producers to comply with new EU organic rules which came into effect in 2022. We anticipate this could pose significant challenges for organic poultry producers. Read our explainer (opens in new tab).
For more information, you can read our explainer breaking down what an SPS agreement is and what dynamic alignment means for you. You can also check out our timeline to stay up to date with the NFU’s lobbying work in this area.