Defra confirmed in October 2023 that it had laid proposed secondary legislation that was expected to complete its passage through parliament in December. It was made law on 6 December 2023 under the Retained EU Law reform process.
The Statutory Instrument regulation, which came into force on 31 December 2023, provides a temporary solution to two issues – the loss of access to seed treated in the EU when post-Brexit arrangements ended on 1 January 2024, and the end of parallel imports, which was already having an impact on availability and cost in 2023.
Access to treated seed will continue to 1 July 2027, a three-and-a-half-year extension to the original cut-off date, as long as products remain authorised in at least one EU or EEA (European Economic Area) member state.