Negotiations with the EU on a new SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement are continuing. The agreement will see the UK dynamically align with a broad range of EU legislation governing food and feed safety and agricultural production.
In practice, this means that farmers and growers in Great Britain will have to comply with EU rules in areas ranging from PPPs (Plant Protection Products) and organics to animal health and disease control.
While the final details of the agreement have yet to be agreed, the UK government has now released initial guidance to help farmers and growers begin to understand what the changes will mean for your business and how you can prepare. Visit: GOV.UK | SPS agreement: preparing your business
Topics covered in the guidance
The guidance outlines some of the areas in which farmers and growers will be expected to make changes in order to comply with EU legislation.
While businesses may not be expected to make immediate changes, the guidance aims to help farmers begin to plan for how your business will need to adapt to the new rules ahead of the agreement coming into force, which will likely take place in mid-2027.
Areas covered by the guidance include:
- PPPs and biocides – changes to the products you can buy, how you can use them, and the MRLs (maximum residue levels) permitted in food and animal feed.
- Importing and exporting plants and plant products – changes to the checks and certificates required for goods moving between GB and the EU.
- Plant breeding – changes to how new varieties are registered.
- Importing and exporting live animals and animal products – changes to the checks and certificates required for goods moving into and out of GB.
- Manufacture, import and use of animal feed – changes to how feeds are formulated, imported, and authorised.
- Food marketing – changes to how food products are labelled, processed, marketed, and comprised.
- Precision breeding – subject to ongoing negotiations.
- Organic production – changes for organic growers and organic poultry producers, including the use of organic pullets. See: GOV.UK | Organics sectors: preparing your business
However, the guidance cautions that negotiations with the EU are still ongoing and as a result, many details of the agreement, and what it will mean for farmer and growers, are not yet confirmed.
This means there may be other areas where changes are needed that are not covered in this guidance.
The guidance also sets out how farmers can begin to prepare for EU realignment. This includes reviewing your current business activities to identify where changes may be needed, and ensuring you are ready to receive further information as it is published.
What next?
A summit between EU and UK leaders is widely expected to be held this summer, though dates have yet to be confirmed. We anticipate that further details regarding the final agreement are likely to be announced at this summit.
Once we have further details, the NFU will work with members to help you understand the new rules and what they could mean for your businesses.
NFU response
The NFU has welcomed the guidance as a positive first step towards helping farmers and growers understand the changes that the UK-EU SPS agreement will bring.
However, it is clear that farmers and growers will need more detailed information to help them to plan and adapt their businesses to the coming changes. The NFU is continuing to urge the government to ensure that farmers have access to the information they need as soon as possible.
It was positive to note within the guidance that, when considering possible exceptions to alignment with EU rules, the government has acknowledged the importance of enabling Great Britain to continue to “support the use of new and innovative technologies”.
The NFU has been calling for an exception from alignment for the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 to ensure that English growers continue to have access to the potentially significant benefits associated with this new technology. It is therefore welcome that the guidance states that this area remains under negotiation with the EU.
It is also positive that the government is considering what targeted arrangements may be possible in areas, such as PPPs and MRLs, where aligning with EU regulations will be most difficult.
The NFU has been calling for a phased transition for PPPs and biocides that enable decisions made in GB to continue until the UK government has the opportunity to influence EU decision making on behalf of British farmers and growers.
We also continue to lobby for any products that will be withdrawn under the agreement to be given reasonable use-up periods.
