20 May 2025
New UK-EU deal
On 19 May 2025, the UK and EU struck a deal pertaining to security, fisheries, energy and trade.
SPS agreement
As part of the deal, a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement has been signed, which simplifies checks for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods. SPS goods are products related to animals and plants that require specific regulations and controls to protect human, animal, and plant health.
The agreement will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing the checks at the border. Specifically, this agreement will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone, which will implement the following measures:
- Removal of Export Health Certificates
- Removal of plant health certificates
- Removal of Certificates of Inspection for organic products
- Removal of marketing standards certification requirements
- Routine border checks on animal and plant food products will be removed completely
- Routine checks on certain imports from the EU for products such as milk, dairy, eggs, red meat, plants for planting and potatoes, will also be removed
- British products that were banned, such as fresh sausages and burgers, will be able to resume trade to the EU
- Reduced checks on fresh food going from GB to Northern Ireland
Critical comment
By reducing and simplifying the checks for SPS goods, this deal is considered very positive, specifically for SME businesses that are disproportionately impacted by the financial burden of the current border checks and import/export requirements.
Nevertheless, it is important to realise that, despite the SPS agreement, the UK will remain outside the customs union, and Brexit customs declarations will remain. Furthermore, there does not seem to be any movement on dual regulation on medicines, veterinary medicines, or chemicals, such as paint or household cleaning products.
No timeline has currently been provided as to when the various measures from the SPS Agreement will take effect, but it is estimated that it may take months.
Please get in touch with us now
If you have any questions about how the SPS Agreement affects your business, please get in touch with us today.