Cornwall farmers could be bound by EU rules under new deal, CLA warns

Fewer forms at the border. More rules on the farm. That is the trade-off the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) says farmers could be facing under a new food deal between the UK and the EU.

A draft sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, covering trade in food, animals and plants, has been circulated to EU member states. EU ambassadors are due to discuss it this Wednesday (4 November). The deal is expected to be formally agreed when Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president António Costa at a UK-EU summit in Brussels on Friday 20 November.

What the deal would change

The government says the agreement will eventually bring £5.1bn a year in benefits to the UK economy.

Export Health Certificates, which cost around £200 each, and £25 phytosanitary certificates would no longer be needed. Inspection fees and other checks could also go. Exports to the EU of fresh sausages, burgers, shellfish from domestic waters and seed potatoes would resume, and pet passports for British animals travelling to the EU would return.

Farming minister Stephen Morgan told MPs last month that an SPS agreement could increase UK exports of major primary agricultural commodities to the EU by around 16%.

The catch, according to the CLA

In return, the UK would commit to following EU rules on plant, animal and food standards, and adapting as those rules change. It is a process known as “dynamic alignment”, and it would apply whether or not a business trades with the EU.

That is the part worrying the CLA, which represents landowners and rural businesses.

CLA president Gavin Lane said: “Anything that makes it easier for British farmers to trade with Europe is welcome. But removing red tape at the border is little consolation if it means more restrictions on the farm.

“Under this deal, British farmers could find themselves bound by EU rules on everything from pesticides to animal health, even if they never export a single product. And they would have little say over how those rules are made.”

A question of timing

The government has said its intention is for the agreement to take effect in mid-2027, although there are suggestions it may not be implemented until early 2028. Businesses can find the government’s SPS agreement guidance online.

In April, the government rejected a recommendation from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee of MPs that a 24-month transition period should be agreed to give businesses time to adapt.

The CLA wants that question back on the table.

Gavin said: “Ministers need to explain what protections they have secured and guarantee a realistic transition period for any new regulations, giving farmers time to make the necessary changes. Farmers cannot afford a deal that saves money on exports only to saddle them with higher costs and fewer options for growing food.”