- Local food businesses to hear how the government's upcoming
SPS agreement with the EU will benefit industry and consumers.
- Deal will save businesses time and money by cutting red tape
and speeding up trade as part of the government's Plan for
Change.
- Trade with the UK's biggest market will be faster,
easier and cheaper, adding £5.1bn a year to the UK economy.
Major food businesses will discuss the government's new sanitary
and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU that will cut
costs, slash red tape and support their profits, with the food
security minister .
Benefits include the scrapping of most routine border checks on
food and agricultural products moving between the UK and EU,
allowing faster trade across the UK and EU border, with less
paperwork and at lower costs for businesses.
Trading food with the UK's biggest export and import market will
be cheaper and easier, adding up to £5.1 billion a year to the UK
economy in the long run and benefitting businesses of all sizes,
while easing pressure on consumer food prices.
Benefits of the new SPS agreement include:
- British goods such as dairy, fish, eggs and red meat entering
the EU are currently subject to 100% documentary checks and up to
30% physical checks. The SPS agreement will see these
time-consuming, expensive, and paperwork-riddled processes
removed entirely.
- The removal of Export Health Certificates (an official export
document required to trade animals and animal products)
alone will save businesses up to £200 per shipment of goods,
meaning a single lorry carrying a mixed load of animal products
could see £1000s in reduced costs.
- The EU currently bans imports of basic UK products such as
fresh sausages and burgers, some shellfish, and seed potatoes.
The SPS agreement will remove this ban and reopen the EU market
for these goods, supporting businesses to expand their production
and stimulating new jobs.
The minister will today tour meat processor Dunbia's Cardington
plant outside Bedford with senior Dunbia executives, before
visiting Co-op's flagship distribution centre in Biggleswade with
Supply Chain Director Nick Cornwell, Logistics Director , and Head of Public Affairs Andrew Weston – meeting
staff and discussing the forthcoming SPS agreement.
Food Security Minister said:
Helping businesses to grow at home, trade abroad and stimulate
jobs is central to our Plan for Change.
This deal will make trading with the EU both easier and cheaper,
adding over £5bn to the economy and spurring growth that the
whole country will benefit from.
Shirine Khoury-Haq, Chief Executive of The Co-operative
Group, said:
Being able to move food and drink more smoothly between the UK
and EU, whilst maintaining high standards, is good news for our
industry, for our business, and therefore for our members,
customers, and the communities we serve.
We wholeheartedly welcome the positive steps the government and
the EU have taken towards reducing unnecessary friction in the
food supply chain. We look forward to working with the UK
government to ensure businesses of all sizes – including smaller
businesses – benefit from the new arrangements.
Niall Browne, CEO of Dunbia, said:
We welcome the Minister and his colleagues to our plant at
Dunbia Cardington to show what we do and the importance of
the export business to the EU for Dunbia and the British Food
Industry.
The new SPS agreement between the UK and EU is a very welcomed
development and this should result in potential cost savings for
our business and a smoother delivery to our EU customers which
are important to balance the carcase sales.
Protecting UK biosecurity remains a key government priority, and
risk-based surveillance will continue to manage the biosecurity
risks of imported food products until the agreement is completed
and in force.
