The UK and EU have agreed a draft deal to remove post-Brexit checks on food and agriculture exports. EU nations will consider the text on Wednesday, ahead of the UK-EU summit later this month.
The UK and EU have agreed a draft deal on removing post-Brexit checks from food and agriculture exports. The BBC understands the 200-page draft text for the "SPS" (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement has been circulated to EU nations in Brussels for a meeting on Wednesday.
Similar texts for deals on emissions trading and a youth travel and work scheme have also been circulated, alongside a 15-page draft joint statement for UK and EU leaders.
What the food deal removes
The BBC calls the food deal the most significant part of the so-called Brexit reset agreed so far. It should remove the need for £200 Export Health Certificates, £25 Phytosanitary certificates, inspector fees, organic certificates, some port fees and sampling fees.
UK exports of fresh sausages, burgers, shellfish from domestic waters and seed potatoes to the EU will also be able to resume. The government claims the UK economy will eventually see £5.1bn worth of annual benefits.
In return, the UK will commit to observing and adapting to existing EU rules on plant, animal and food trade standards, a process called "dynamic alignment". A European Partnerships Bill will provide a legal mechanism for applying new EU rules.
Business backs the deal, critics object
Supermarkets and farmers' representatives have backed the food trade plans, but some pro-Brexit campaigners have criticised the reapplication of EU rules. William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), told the BBC's Today programme that business overall thought following common rules was a "price is worth paying".
Bain said Export Health Certificates can add thousands of pounds of costs to each truck, on top of port and border delays. Separately, a BCC survey found that 56% of exporting businesses wanted EU customs paperwork and delays removed, rising to 58% of manufacturers.
What comes next
EU ambassadors will discuss the draft agreements at a Coreper meeting on Wednesday. Key details on the planned numbers in a Youth Experience Scheme are due to be finalised at a political level in the coming days, while a discount on full foreign student fees for EU students is likely to be pushed to next year.
The prime minister has said he wants to use this month's summit to launch a conversation on a longer-term path for the UK-EU relationship, including rejoining the bloc.
Source: BBC News
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