Defra confirmed in October 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 comes 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 end on 1 January 2024, and the end of parallel imports, the latter of which has happened already and is having an impact on availability and cost.

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.