The UK government has confirmed that Brexit rules affecting food exports to the European Union, including fresh sausages and burgers, will be scrapped from mid-2027. This marks the first confirmed result of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's "reset" negotiations with Brussels.
Under the new agreement, exporters of meat—whether fresh, frozen, or processed—will no longer require costly veterinary certificates to prove they meet EU standards. Similar documentation for plants or wood packaging material will also be eliminated. Businesses selling into Northern Ireland will no longer need health labels.
While not all details of the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal have been finalized, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance to help producers prepare for the changes. The announcement is seen as an effort to demonstrate early progress in the protracted UK-EU reset talks, which have been hampered by disagreements over a youth mobility scheme.
Economic Impact and Support
Biosecurity minister Sue Hayman described the deal as "great news for British food and drink businesses of all sizes," including an estimated 16,000 companies that stopped exporting to the EU after Brexit due to excessive bureaucracy. She added: "By cutting unnecessary delays and paperwork at the border, the agreement will make it easier for businesses to sell our world-class produce to European customers, support jobs and help ease pressure on food prices for families."
The government expects the deal to "add up to £5.1bn a year to the economy, support British jobs and slash red tape for British farmers, producers and businesses." It is working toward a mid-2027 start date and wants businesses in the agri-food sector to start preparing now.
Changes to Specific Rules
The changes will cover rules on food additives and colourings, animal breeding certificates, pesticides, vaccination residues, organic products, and farm feeds. Health certificates, which can cost up to £200 per consignment, were not required before the UK left the EU in 2020 but had since contributed to paperwork "hell," according to food producers and transport firms.
Toby Ovens, managing director of Broughton Transport Solutions, told the business and trade committee in January that his company now needed 26 sheets of paperwork—instead of just one before Brexit—to prove to French authorities in Calais that the beef he was transporting met EU standards. He said lorries carrying frozen beef could be detained for up to a month if a single document was incorrect. Describing one episode of "pure hell," he recalled a British vet chasing a lorry down the motorway towards Eurotunnel to issue replacement certificates after French officials refused to accept forms issued by the UK government confirming the cargo was free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease).
Negotiation Timeline
Negotiations over the deal have been under way since the end of last year and are expected to conclude in time for the next EU-UK summit, pencilled in for 13 July. Lady Hayman said: "We are working hand in hand with food and farming businesses up and down the country to make the most of this opportunity and want every British producer—whether they currently trade with the EU or not—to be ready to seize the benefits this deal will unlock."
