The report ‘UK-EU agri-trade: making an SPS agreement work’ outlines the risks that may arise from aligning with the EU on certain areas of regulation, with MPs on the Efra Committee calling for the government to negotiate exemptions for GB in a number of areas such as precision breeding.
Negotiations between the UK and EU towards a common SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) area began in November 2025. This would see the UK align with certain EU rules, principally around food safety, possibly as early as June 2027.
It has so far been agreed that there will be a short list of exemptions to alignment, but the nature and extent of these is still up for negotiation.
“Since submitting evidence to the Efra Committee, the level of jeopardy has increased.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Level playing field remains critical
The report urges ministers to seek a ‘Swiss-style exemption’ on animal welfare standards, meaning that the UK would maintain independent regulations on animal welfare, while noting that these standards could not be lower than EU’s. MPs also raised concerns over food labelling and a lack of clarity on the scope of the agreement.
Echoing a long-standing NFU call, the report also said the government should ensure UK farmers are not undercut by products from EU countries with lower animal welfare standards. This comes at a time when Defra has already outlined a number of measures in its Animal Welfare Strategy which could raise domestic animal welfare standards further.
‘In its response to this report, the government should set out the practical measures it will take to protect producers,’ committee members wrote.
Safeguarding gene editing advances
MPs also backed NFU calls for an exemption for precision breeding within the negotiations. This will allow biotechnology and seed companies in England to continue to develop crops using innovative precision breeding technology differently from the EU, where new legislation is still being finalised. England has been ‘ahead of the curve’ on techniques such as gene editing thanks to the Precision Breeding Act, which came into force last year, with MPs noting the importance of preserving England’s ‘first-move advantage’.
Both the NFU and the Efra Committee have raised concerns over these technological advances being sacrificed in order to reach a deal with the EU.
Aligning with the EU on pesticide approvals and MRLs (Maximum Residue Limits) could bring both benefits, such as the possibility of access to new active substances particularly for the horticultural sector, but also significant risks, if there is no transition period, given many GB and EU plant protection product approvals have diverged since Brexit. A recent report, commissioned by CropLife UK, warns against an immediate ‘cliff-edge’ scenario where the UK aligns with the EU on pesticides and MRLs in mid 2027, with no transitional period, estimating that this could cost the arable, horticulture and sugar sectors between £500-810 million in the first year alone.
‘EU regulations on the presence of naturally occurring mycotoxins in fruit and vegetables, and the use of certain pesticides and other products, should not be forced upon producers in the UK,’ the Efra Committee stated in its report. It called on the government to seek assurances that GB scientific evidence would be incorporated into all new science-based decisions affecting UK agriculture.
Level of jeopardy has increased
Responding to the report, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “We’ve been clear with government – farm businesses need a sufficient transition period to avoid crippling impacts on homegrown food production.
“Since submitting evidence to the Efra Committee, the level of jeopardy has increased. Government is clearly ambitious for alignment by mid-2027 but we cannot allow farmers’ hands to be tied by an arbitrary deadline. Nor can we allow lower-standard imports to undercut UK food when we’re driving ever higher production standards here.
“We have to get this right. A well negotiated agreement would remove friction, unlock trade and ensure we can continue to produce high quality food.”
Efra Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael said the agreement should present “a feast of benefits for British businesses, farmers and consumers”, but cautioned that there is “a lot on the menu for the government to consider”.
Seconding the NFU President’s concerns on imports, Mr Carmichael said “we must avoid unnecessary burdens and undercutting of farmers from products produced abroad where animals are treated worse than in the UK”.
“This would present a zero-sum game and a threat to our already wary industry.”
Select the links below to find out more about the NFU’s work on the SPS negotiations:
