British and European officials are set to sign the bilateral phytosanitary agreement on 20 November to lift the majority of border checks and fees for plant imports and exports. The measure eliminates expenses including health inspections, haulage costs, and certification fees identified by the Horticultural Trades Association. The pact will not take effect until the first quarter of 2028, meaning companies must endure existing border rules for over another year. Additionally, the government confirmed that firms will not receive compensation for private border infrastructure made redundant by the deal.
Key points
The agreement will remove physical border checks and document fees, generating substantia…: The agreement will remove physical border checks and document fees, generating substantial annual savings for the horticulture sector.
Industry operators will not receive state compensation for past capital investments made…: Industry operators will not receive state compensation for past capital investments made into dedicated private inspection facilities.
Trade bodies are requesting interim transition easements to help businesses navigate curr…: Trade bodies are requesting interim transition easements to help businesses navigate current border protocols until the 2028 rollout.
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The removal of border checks and paperwork on plant imports will “dissolve” £60m of annual costs for the horticulture industry when the UK and EU’s new post-Brexit deal comes in, the environment secretary has said.
Before the UK-EU summit on 20 November, Angela Eagle said she hopes paperwork headaches for importers will “disappear” after the changes, although the move will not help businesses recoup the large sums they spent to deal with border controls.
“If we get the ink dry on 20 November, which I very much hope we will … all of that uncertainty, the extra cost, the paperwork and the potential problems if things get stuck at borders would all disappear,” Eagle told the Guardian during a visit to a plant nursery in Kent.
“The cost, that £60m, can just dissolve and people’s potential to both export back into the EU and get their imports in … gets easier and more predictable.”
The UK’s departure from the bloc triggered the introduction of border checks on imports and exports of plants, food and animal products, from sausages and cheese…
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