A joint letter signed from 26 representative bodies from across the UK food and drink supply chain has agreed and outlined ten key priorities for the Brexit negotiations with the EU.
The signatories have come together from diverse industries, including meat, drink, wholesaling and labour providing, identifying “feeding people well” as a “matter of national security” and warning that “abrupt change would have enormous consequences for our industry, its employees and for the choice and available of food in this country”.
The ten points in the letter comprise avoiding any ‘cliff edge’ by securing an adequate interim and transitional period to help industry prepare for a new relationship with the EU, while asking for quick negotiations regarding the right to remain, for the EU workforce and their families.
In addition, the signatories urge the Government to “recognise the unique nature of our relationship with Ireland by agreeing a series of special solutions on workforce, regulation and borders”, asking at the same time to deliver continued zero-tariff and “frictionless trade across borders in both directions”.
They also call on the negotiating team to maintain consumer confidence on UK food safety and authenticity “through a stable, equivalent regulatory framework to ensure seamless trade”.
Working together with industry to develop home-grown talent and consult them fully over the needs of industry ahead of any new migration scheme is also among the priorities outlined, along with “turbocharging” exports support to help smaller food and drink firms take advantage of new opportunities.
The letter also calls for a competitive supply base and for the Government to ensure that reforms to UK farm support and fisheries management take “full account of the needs of the rural and coastal communities, planning and investment horizons”.
Finally, the letter urges the Government to “maintain the UK as the destination of choice for multi-national food and drink firms and encourage inward investment to benefit our local communities”.
Among the signatories are Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation, James Bielby, chief executive of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, Liz Murphy, chief executive of the International Meat Trade Association and John Hyman, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
