Committee publication · Correspondence · 17 July 2025
Correspondence from the Wales Young Farmers Clubs to the Chair relating to the 4 June evidence session
From: Welsh Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming in Wales in 2025: Challenges and Opportunities
Summary
Wales Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) responds to three questions posed during a 4 June evidence session before the Welsh Affairs Committee. The organisation confirms that post-Brexit export checks and certificates damaged Welsh goods' international competitiveness, welcomes the UK-EU SPS agreement as progress but notes it does not restore frictionless trade, and identifies both risks and opportunities in potential alignment with EU food standards, urging deeper regulatory cooperation.
Key findings
- Welsh YFC confirms that export checks and certificates made Welsh goods less attractive internationally; EU-bound exports fell 21% between 2018 and 2024, particularly affecting small and medium-sized agri-food producers.
- The UK-EU SPS agreement is welcomed for removing Export Health Certificates, plant health certificates, and routine border checks for key products, reducing costs and delivery times.
- Wales YFC believes the SPS agreement does not remove all barriers; exporters must still navigate complex regulatory requirements and face long-term strategic risk from UK lack of influence over EU rule-making.
- Alignment with EU food standards presents opportunity for market access and regulatory stability but risks loss of UK autonomy and potential price competition from lower-standard EU imports.
- Wales YFC advocates for a legally binding agreement to formalise regulatory cooperation, provide long-term certainty, and reduce risk of future regulatory divergence.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Wales Young Farmers Clubs (Wales YFC), Dominic Hamspon-Smith, Ruth Jones, Welsh Affairs Committee, UK Government, EU
Notable line
“Wales YFC doesn't entirely believe that all barriers to Welsh producers have been removed.”
Key Quotes
“The introduction of extensive checks and certification requirements following the UK's departure from the EU significantly increased the cost and complexity of exporting Welsh goods—particularly agri-food products—to the EU.”
“EU- bound exports falling by 21% between 2018 and”
“The recent UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement represents a significant and welcome step forward.”
“Welsh exporters must still navigate a complex and evolving regulatory landscape, and the UK's lack of influence over EU rule-making poses long-term strategic risks.”
“Alignment would not only allow Welsh product into the EU but also EU products of a potential lower standard into Welsh markets that could impact market value of our Welsh products.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗