UK-EU alignment could see single market rules in use

The new legislation would aim to make it easier for the UK to align with EU rules and would give ministers the opportunity to fast-track draft laws to align with EU standards. It would be introduced as secondary legislation, created by ministers under powers given to them by Parliament, meaning it would not have to vote every time a new EU law is adopted.

It comes as Government has agreed to pursue a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.

The SPS agreement will apply differently across sectors. The main groups likely to be in scope of these are: 

• Farmers and primary producers – changes to animal health, plant health, feed, pesticides and their respective maximum residue levels, and veterinary medicine maximum residue limits. 
• Food, feed and drink businesses – changes to hygiene rules, food law, additives, pesticide maximum residue levels, marketing standards, labelling and food contact materials.
• Hauliers and logistics providers – changes to movement requirements for animals, plants and SPS goods.
• Importers and exporters of SPS goods – changes to certification, checks, official controls and digital systems.
• Pesticide and biocide manufacturers and suppliers – changes to pesticide and biocide active substance approvals, plant protection product (PPP) and biocide authorisations, and PPP maximum residue levels.
• Retailers and wholesalers – changes to consumer information, compositional standards, traceability, labelling and sourcing requirements.
• Seed, plant and horticultural suppliers – changes to plant health, reproductive material and plant passporting.
• Veterinarians – changes to veterinary medicine Maximum Residue Limits and antimicrobial resistance

Government claimed that the deal would save businesses money on “complex paperwork at the border”, while trade will flow faster and new markets will be accessible.

As a result, it said the UK supply chain will become more resilient, and food security will be strengthened in the UK and Europe. The new deal will look to save businesses time and money, with Government stating it will “open up opportunities for growth” for large and small importers and exporters across the country.

UK businesses will need to meet EU rules within the scope of the agreement, whether trading with the EU or serving only the UK market. Businesses may need to make operational changes to processing methods, certification and labelling, and IT systems.

A Government spokesperson said: “The Bill will go through parliament in the normal way. Any new treaties or deals with the EU will also face parliamentary scrutiny, and Parliament will have a role in approving new EU laws required under those deals via secondary legislation.”

“This will allow us to deliver a ‘food & drink’ trade deal worth £5.1 billion a year, backing British jobs and slashing costly red tape for our farmers, producers and businesses.”

Business and Trade Committee to review UK economic relationships

The Business and Trade Committee has launched a call for evidence as part of a ‘“stocktake” of the UK’s economic relationships that will aim to review the “full scope of deeper alignment options”, and evaluate the trade-offs and constraints with the new free trade agreements the UK has now signed.   

This inquiry will examine:

• Whether the UK has a coherent strategy for its economic relationship with the EU
• The state of negotiations on the reset – and whether progress is being delivered
• The trade-offs the Government is making between access to EU markets and alignment with other partners
• The implications for trade, energy cooperation and economic security

Rt Hon Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Committee, said: “The Government promised a reset with Europe– but so far it risks failing to deliver the growth the UK economy needs.

“Businesses are facing new frictions, new frustrations, and no clear sense of where negotiations are heading. Yet at the same time, ministers are seeking sweeping powers without setting out how they will be used.

“So, we will test whether the Government has a credible plan to cut barriers and unlock growth − and whether deeper integration with Europe can work alongside our new trade deals to accelerate trade in the decade ahead.”

Government should “engage with industry”

John Powell, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), commented: “With very few exceptions, some part of every animal that is produced for slaughter in the UK will be exported, with the majority going to the EU. For this to be allowed, every part of the supply chain for that animal has to comply with EU public food safety and animal health rules.

“This means that the UK is effectively already aligning with our biggest and most significant trading partner. But, because we are not legally aligned, to support whatever we export we are currently required to provide additional paperwork and undergo various checks, adding tens of thousands of pounds in costs to UK businesses, which inevitably has to be found somewhere in the supply chain, either through lower margins or higher prices, driving food price inflation and rendering UK exporters less competitive.

“The difference a new SPS deal will make is that Britain, unlike the EU’s other Third Country trading partners, will benefit from true, un-fettered access to their market and significantly reduced trade friction. It will boost trade and make British meat more competitive.

“We await the detail of the new EU deal, but the early signs are that it will be a pragmatic agreement that will be good for British businesses and consumers alike. One thing we would urge Government to do is to engage with industry on issues that will impact the meat processing sector when the new agreement comes into force and during any transition period prior, so companies have time to adequately prepare for the changes.”

Positive response from industry

Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director of the Association of Meat Suppliers (AIMS) welcomed the news. He stated: “Anything that removes friction and accelerates alignment with the EU SPS framework is a step in the right direction. The reality for our sector is that exporters are already operating to EU-equivalent standards in all but name, yet continue to carry the full administrative and certification burden of divergence. Streamlining the mechanism for alignment through Parliament is therefore not just sensible policy – it is long overdue.

“From an industry perspective, this is about restoring competitiveness, reducing unnecessary cost, and improving the fluidity of trade.”

Dr Jason Aldiss, AIMS

He continued: “From an industry perspective, this is about restoring competitiveness, reducing unnecessary cost, and improving the fluidity of trade. It should also help to alleviate some of the persistent issues we are seeing at Border Control Posts, where technical divergences – often more theoretical than real – are being used to justify delays and rejections.

“The UK produces some of the highest-standard meat in the world. A more pragmatic and responsive approach to alignment will allow that quality to be recognised without being undermined by avoidable bureaucracy.

“The key now is pace and intent. If Government is serious about growth, food security, and export confidence, then this must be the beginning of a broader reset—not a one-off adjustment.

“In short: it’s a positive move – now let’s press on.”