The Commons: Where Will The EU ‘Reset’ Leave Britain’s Farmers?
Andy Brodie
In 2024, Rishi Sunak's government oversaw the banning of live animal exports from the UK, as well as the banning of hunting imports, following the passage of a bill to this effect back in early 2024. The law outlawed the transportation of live cattle over long distances either from or through Britain, for fattening or slaughter, making good on a commitment in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto.
The move came after 50 years of campaigning by animal rights protesters, who claimed the practice caused excessive suffering for the animals involved. It was presented by the Conservative government as one of the many new freedoms gained from Brexit, such a ban having previously not been possible due to EU rules around freedom of movement and trade.
Following its subsequent victory in the election later that year, the incoming Labour government stated its aims would be to secure a ‘reset’ with the EU, based on which they have already confirmed shared foreign policy commitments and the revival of the Erasmus scheme. This prompted concerns from animal rights campaigners that this and other post-Brexit arrangements could be put at risk as part of such a reset.
Whilst the Labour government had pledged themselves to keeping with current standards on food produced in the UK, both in regards to live exports, as well as on other issues such as genetically modified foodstuffs, laying these down as red lines at the start of negotiations in November, it had also been reported that the EU themselves will be looking to ensure that the UK cannot simply pick and choose from elements of the single market, and that there will be a limit on what kinds of ‘carve-outs’ are allowed.
David Bowles, the head of public affairs at animal rights charity, the RSPCA, stated that, “both existing British animal welfare standards – such as the ban on live exports and future progress to improve our animal standards, such as banning cages for laying hens – are up for negotiation. It is up to the Government to stand firm and support our farmers and animal welfare standards. They cannot allow existing or future standards to be diluted as a cost of agreeing freer trade with the EU.”
Brussels had indicated earlier in the year that the issue of live exports is one on which the UK will still be allowed to go its own way. However, this has only further raised questions on what else may be traded in attempts to realign with the EU, post-Brexit.
A particular area of concern from farmers has been around ongoing talks over a keynote sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which is set to establish new rules going forwards on the use of crops and pesticides. A common SPS policy has been a core goal to the UK’s aims for an EU realignment, alongside participation in the EU’s internal energy market, and a linking up of the UK and EU carbon emissions trading systems.
Farmers have been concerned however that the need to align with the EU’s separate standards on pesticides could, it’s speculated, render a whole swathe of cereals and other food products produced in the UK as unsellable.
Farmers have urged the UK government to implement a transition period if it does indeed agree to align with EU standards on this, warning that an immediate jump to adopting European practices could cost UK farmers and businesses anywhere between £500m and £810m a year.
“If we do not have a transition period, it would have very damaging consequences,” warns David Bench, chief executive of Croplife. “The impact of a ‘cliff-edge scenario’ on British growers could be devastating. At a time of increasing pressure on farm profitability, this could prove a tipping point for many farmers and growers.”
The UK government currently remains set on a deadline of 2027 for an agreement on this however, emphasizing the cost to businesses currently being caused by red tape created since Brexit. The government has cited the delays to exports and imports across the channel that has been seen since Brexit, with many businesses currently entirely unable to export to the EU.
A trade select committee has said the extra red tape was costing the UK an extra £8.4bn, with goods trade down 18% on five years ago, and food and drink down 24%. Meanwhile, the National Farmers’ Union reported that ever since Brexit, overall exports of British produce to Europe had dropped by as much as 37%.
According to the House of Commons, UK goods exports to the EU fell sharply in January 2021 after the end of the Brexit transition period, and have since remained below their pre-pandemic/Brexit level.
The UK government has stated their hope that a new deal with the UK would help to “slash red tape, cut costs and delays at the border - supporting farmers, producers and businesses across the UK”, and have added that it “could deliver up to £5.1bn a year for the UK economy.”
They further clarified that “our negotiations are ongoing, and we’re working with businesses on the ground to shape our approach and make sure they’re ready to benefit as soon as any new arrangements take effect.”
How far the EU is willing to oblige the UK on this however remains to be seen. They have already won significant concessions over fishing in UK waters - long a sticking point for supporters of Brexit, and had previously indicated that any food agreement will be dependent on the UK’s agreement to youth experience schemes, something that has since been followed up on by the UK with its agreement to revive the Erasmus scheme.
In the meantime however, the government has stated that it already has agreement on some of the carve out’s already being discussed, and will still be pursuing exemptions from EU rules for gene-edited crops and Scottish oats. But with the agricultural sector already significantly impacted by the rise in inheritance tax under Labour, there will likely remain a high degree of apprehension from farmers over this until the final details of a deal are reached.
