Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Accepted in Part
Intensify efforts to establish UK-EU SPS zone and publish a roadmap by May 2026.
Recommendation
The UK Government must intensify efforts to fully establish an SPS zone with the EU, as a key step towards reducing trade friction for Welsh agricultural exports. We call on the Government to publish a roadmap for how they plan to establish an SPS zone between the UK and EU by May 2026. (Recommendation, Paragraph 81)
Government Response Summary
The government states it is committed to working with the EU to advance an SPS agreement, describing it as a central element of their work to reduce agri-food trade friction and cut costs. However, the response does not commit to publishing a roadmap for how they plan to establish the SPS zone by May 2026.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The UK Government is working with the EU to advance the package agreed at the May UK-EU summit and remains committed to a broad and constructive relationship with the EU. A central element of this work is the negotiation of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, which will make agri-food trade with our largest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and reducing administrative burdens for British producers and retailers, while helping to ease pressure on food inflation. The EU accounts for the majority of the UK’s agri-food trade. In 2024, 57% (£14.1 billion) of UK agri-food exports were to EU countries, while 72% (£45.5 billion) of imports came from the EU. In the long term, an SPS agreement could add up to £5.1 billion annually to the UK economy. The removal of export health certificates will save businesses up to £200 per consignment, while eliminating phytosanitary certificates will save around £25 each. The removal of Certificates of Inspection for organic products will save over £130 per consignment. Routine SPS border checks will also be eliminated, reducing delays and paperwork so that fresh produce reaches supermarket shelves more quickly and at lower cost. Exports of goods such as dairy, fish, eggs, and red meat, currently subject to 100% documentary checks and up to 30% physical checks, will no longer face these requirements. Checks on certain imports from the EU, including milk, dairy, eggs, red meat, plants for planting, and potatoes, will also be eliminated, reducing costs further. British products previously banned under the Brexit deal, such as fresh sausages, burgers, some shellfish, and seed potatoes, will once again be eligible for trade with the EU. An SPS agreement will be particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises, which have been disproportionately affected by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be simplified through the removal of a wide range of SPS and agri-food requirements. Businesses will save significant time and money by eliminating extensive paperwork and numerous health certificates, checks, and processes, while consumers in Northern Ireland will benefit from greater choice.