Britain agrees a draft deal with the EU to scrap Brexit food checks in return for following Brussels rules
Small retailers such as delicatessens will once again be able to source small batches of European cheese and wine, shut out when Brexit checks came into force in 2022.
The 200-page sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, circulated to EU ambassadors on Wednesday, eliminates £200 export health certificates, £25 phytosanitary certificates, inspector fees and port charges — and the government claims it will eventually generate £5.1 billion in annual economic benefits. Since Brexit, British food exports to the EU have dropped by a third, with eggs, chicken and potato products among the worst-affected categories.
Sausages, burgers, shellfish and seed potatoes — barred from the EU market since Brexit — will be allowed to return under the terms of the deal.
In return, the UK commits to 'dynamic alignment', automatically following Brussels rules on food and agricultural standards — a concession Boris Johnson flatly refused.
The deal is not expected to come into force until early 2028, after the change of prime minister delayed the UK-EU summit now scheduled for 20 November.
