NFU chief international trade adviser
The next EU-UK Summit will take place on 20 November in Brussels, when an outline deal to align UK and EU rules on plant and animal health, organics and disease control is expected. Find out more.
The NFU has been engaging extensively with the UK negotiators to ensure our priorities for a SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement with the EU are well understood and the impacts on our members are taken into account.
As the UK and the EU reach the final stages of negotiation, we take the opportunity to highlight the top priorities that our government should secure to minimise disruption and costs for members when implementing the SPS agreement.
Plant protection products and biocides
On PPPs, our priority is to ensure that the three new actives (cinmethylin; isoflucypram; pydiflumetofen) approved in GB but not yet the EU, will be retained until an EU decision on each of them is made.
We are also pushing for a managed transition for the loss of the 13 active substances withdrawn in the EU but still approved in GB.
There are also some EU-approved actives that could be lost due to changes in conditions of use and MRL issues:
What this means for farmers and growers
- Potential changes to rules covering pesticides, plant health, animal health and food standards.
- Fewer export checks and certificates for many products.
- Reduced border friction when trading with the EU.
- New requirements could begin to apply from 2027.
What this means for glyphosate
The NFU has asked that farmers can continue to follow the conditions of the forthcoming GB 2026 renewal decision until EU approval is re-assessed and GB is part of that decision-shaping process.
The EU’s decision to ban the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant was political rather than evidence based, and one that GB had no opportunity to shape. The loss of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant will have a wide range of impacts, including affecting crop quality and adding costs.
What this means for Creosote
Agricultural use of the wood preservative Creosote for livestock fencing would also be lost due to alignment with EU conditions of use.
Find more information on our UK-EU SPS negotiations: How plant health is affected page.
How we can mitigate
Proposed mitigation asks: Overall, UK Government and the regulator HSE must utilise the full range of measures within EU PPP regulation that could mitigate the impacts of the SPS agreement for UK farmers and level the playing field with their EU competitors.
- Mutual recognition: UK Government must fully enable the mutual recognition procedure for GB, which allows Member States to make PPPs authorised elsewhere in the EU available for use in their own country.
- Free movement of treated seed: Import into and use in GB of seeds treated with PPPs, which are not authorised in GB but are authorised for that use in at least one EU country was set to be phased out after Brexit, but the NFU successfully lobbied for it to be extended to 30 June 2027. This measure must be made available long-term as part of alignment with the EU.
- Parallel trade of PPPs: Parallel trade allows PPPs to be imported from EU countries, repackaged, sold and used in the UK, provided the PPP is identical in composition to one already authorised for the GB market. This measure helps enable product availability and competitive pricing across the EU. Currently UK access is restricted to the pre-Brexit parallel trade permits and due to end in 2027/28. Government must restore the full access that benefits farmers in EU Member States.
- Emergency authorisations: Government must take a new approach on EAs to better support farmers and growers. UK Government currently grants EAs at approximately one tenth of the rate of some of its European counterparts.
- Additionally, government should ensure the benefits of reduced friction at the border are fully realised – removing routine border checks, certificates and controls for importing seeds, plants for planting, seed potatoes and other horticulture products.
The NFU’s priorities for precision breeding
We’ve been asking government to secure an exemption that would preserve the current GB framework for the authorisation and marketing of precision-bred products until the EU’s NGT regime is fully operational in mid-2028.
Maintaining the existing regime during this period would provide regulatory certainty and support a seamless transition to the EU regime.
After the EU regime comes into force, a suitable transition period should be established to enable both existing and in-flight English authorisations and dossiers to be assessed and approved under both the GB and EU systems.
Following this period, GB would move to full regulatory alignment with the EU’s NGT framework.
We also need government to clearly communicate how the transition to EU NGT regulations will be managed and what practical assurance steps will be needed for those PB products (for example CAT 2 NGT) that cannot/ or are unlikely to be approved within the grace period.
Find more information on our UK-EU SPS negotiations: How precision breeding could be affected page.
Organic poultry production
Organic egg and poultry producers could face some significant changes under future arrangements.
Access to pullets
One of the biggest concerns is maintaining access to non-organic pullets that can be reared under organic systems. The NFU is pressing for practical solutions that give producers time to adapt and help avoid disruption to supply chains.
Housing requirements
We’re also highlighting the potential cost and complexity of any new housing requirements. Any changes need to be workable for businesses while continuing to deliver high standards of animal welfare.
Mixed organic and non-organic farms
Many producers operate both organic and conventional enterprises on the same holding. The NFU is seeking clarity and flexibility so these businesses can continue to operate efficiently.
More information on our UK-EU SPS negotiations: What does it mean for the organics sector? page.
Ensuring disease control measures are practical
Animal health remains a key part of the discussions, and the NFU is working to ensure any future arrangements are practical for farmers.
What it means for bovine TB
The NFU is engaging with government to ensure that any changes support effective disease control while remaining workable for members.
EU legislation requires an extended testing regime for the regaining of TB-free status (minimum 12 months) unless a herd is able to meet at least one of three conditions which allow a derogation enabling a shorter testing regime, equivalent to the regime currently in place in GB, to be used.
We need government to take a pragmatic approach to the interpretation and implementation of EU legislation to maximise the number of herds which qualify for the derogation. This includes interpreting the meaning of a “case” in relation to the second condition as a group of animals with an epidemiological link.
What this means for avian influenza
For poultry producers, practical disease control measures are essential.
The NFU is seeking clarity on issues such as bird movements, restocking and the management of disease control zones to minimise unnecessary disruption.
What this means for antimicrobial resistance
Future antimicrobial resistance requirements could bring additional reporting obligations for some livestock sectors.
The NFU is calling for close consultation with industry to ensure any new requirements are proportionate and practical.
Future representation and influence
We want the UK government to secure access to all the relevant committees, agencies and systems that fall under the scope of the SPS agreement.
Explore or UK-EU SPS negotiations: Influence and transition pages.
What the NFU is calling for
The NFU will continue to press for an agreement that reduces trade barriers and costs, while ensuring farmers and growers have the flexibility to remain productive, competitive and profitable.