Committee publication · Special Report · 17 April 2026 · HC 1833

5th Special Report - UK-EU agritrade: making an SPS agreement work - Government Response

From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Summary

This is the government's formal response to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's February 2026 report on UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) negotiations. The government accepts, partially accepts, or rejects 22 committee recommendations across alignment of SPS policy, implementation timelines, devolved government involvement, border biosecurity, infrastructure, and resourcing. The government intends the SPS agreement to take effect mid-2027, with exceptions to dynamic alignment on specified issues and parliamentary scrutiny secured.

Key findings

Government accepts recommendation for published scope of SPS negotiations; published list of in-scope EU legislation on 9 March 2026.
Government seeks exemptions from dynamic alignment on animal welfare standards and precision breeding, with details subject to ongoing negotiation.
Government intends SPS agreement implementation mid-2027; partially accepts need for 24-month transition but provides no detailed timetable, stating timelines will be confirmed May 2026 onwards.
Government rejects standalone contingency planning for failed negotiations, asserting borders and biosecurity will continue under existing regime.
Government partially accepts recommendation on illegal meat imports strategy; established new Illegal Imports Improvement Project bringing together FSA, Food Standards Scotland, Home Office and Border Force.
Government commits to parliamentary scrutiny via primary legislation and confirmation that UK will have decision-shaping rights on new EU policies within common SPS area; disputes to go to arbitration, not ECJ.

Government position

The government accepts the overarching priority of delivering an SPS agreement that balances farmers, producers and consumers' interests with regulatory, constitutional and operational implications. It accepts 7 recommendations outright (scope publication, animal welfare protection, biosecurity maintenance, traveller awareness measures, BTOM lessons, parliamentary scrutiny, dynamic alignment communication), partially accepts 6 (transition timelines, illegal imports work, ministerial group minutes, RoW infrastructure impact, Sevington BCP plans, resourcing review), and rejects 3 (contingency planning, UK-wide market barriers strategy, formal devolved government consultative position—though it claims regular engagement via Animal Disease Policy Group, NPPO, and Inter-Ministerial Group forums). The government emphasises that SPS policy is devolved, negotiations are ongoing, and exceptions and decision-shaping mechanisms remain subject to EU agreement. It commits to publishing further detail as negotiations progress and to working with businesses and devolved administrations on implementation.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

trade-policybiosecurityfood-standardsanimal-welfareborder-operations

Key actors

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), HM Treasury, Food Standards Agency, Department for Business and Trade, Home Office, Devolved governments (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), EU

Notable line

“The UK will have a role in shaping new rules, with Parliament rightly having a say in this process.”

Key Quotes

“The UK's biosecurity and public health is a top priority for the government …”
— Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) · Overarching commitments in response to Committee concerns

“The government shares the public's high regard for the UK's environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare.”
— Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) · On protecting UK producers from lower-standard EU imports

“It is our intent that the agreement will take effect in mid-2027.”
— Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) · Implementation timeline for SPS agreement

“The UK will play a key role, alongside EU Member States, in protecting the shared UK and EU SPS area from external biosecurity and public health risks …”
— Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) · On biosecurity protections under the common SPS area

“We've been listening to businesses since last May and understand the concerns raised about how the new agreement could affect them.”
— Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) · On engagement with industry on implementation impacts

“Parliament will rightly have a say on those new rules, and any disputes will go to international arbitration …”
— Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) · On parliamentary scrutiny and dispute resolution mechanisms

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗