10
As the problems that faced exporters in January highlighted, groupage is an important part of...
Recommendation
As the problems that faced exporters in January highlighted, groupage is an important part of the export process especially for smaller businesses. With the new requirements for Export Health Certificates and other red tape when exporting seafood and meat to the EU, it is vital that groupage can be conducted efficiently, ideally without additional handling. Distribution hubs, where consignments are collated for groupage and can also be certified for EHC purposes, are an opportunity to help smaller businesses. We welcome Defra’s positive approach to hubs to date. Given the particular importance of groupage for SMEs exporting seafood and meat to the EU, Defra should continue to act as facilitator and proactively encourage collaboration between stakeholders. It should establish a ring-fenced fund that is used to help establish hubs in circumstances where the private sector will not otherwise provide. Defra should also explore with stakeholders the scope for non-hub models of groupage.
Paragraph Reference
47
Government Response
Acknowledged
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
10 Fourth Special Report of Session 2021–22 to support the establishment of additional hubs for meat, fish and plant exports, and to investigate additional groupage models. Work is already underway, with stakeholders, to identify strategic locations for the establishment of new hubs, with operational trials that began on 17 May with an existing fish exporter in the southwest of England to consolidate export consignments under a reduced number of EHCs. We have recently supported the successful trial of an approach to groupage based on pallet level sealing of consignments into the Republic of Ireland. We intend to publish further guidance on this for exports to the EU shortly. This builds on existing published guidance for groupage movements to Northern Ireland. and fishery products, which includes funding. For example, on the 21 May we published high level guidance that sets out the potential benefits of hubs and the considerations to be made when thinking about establishing a hub. We are open to exploring the scope for additional, non-hub solutions for groupage, with stakeholders.
Source
Report
Eighth Report - Seafood and meat exports to the EU
29 Apr 2021
HC 1189
Timeline
Recommendation age
5.1 yrs
Report published
29 Apr 2021