Council of the European Union Authorises Negotiations on SPS Agreement
Today, the Council of the European Union formally authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with the UK on an agreement for a common sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) area. This follows the EU's draft mandate published in September and marks an important step in the UK–EU relationship and trade.
The Council, under the Presidency of Denmark, has stated its aim to remove all SPS-related phytosanitary and export health certificates, recognising the costs and impacts of checks and documentation for trade in both directions. UK ministers have stated their desire for legislation in the UK to be implemented by 2027; however, the actual commencement of UK alignment with the EU on SPS approaches is less clear.
Robert Sheasby, AIC Chief Executive, commented:
"This is why the transition and implementation period will be extremely important. Different parts of the UK agricultural supply chain will need to understand what will change and make adjustments where necessary. What will be required for seeds or animal feed will be different from crop protection sectors, for example."
AIC continues to meet with the UK Government on a regular basis regarding the SPS agreement and expects to do so throughout the negotiation period. Working alongside our European associations will be equally important in order to provide objective information to both the UK Government and the EU Commission about the needs of business and the wider trade dynamics.
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