Eighth Report - Seafood and meat exports to the EU
Select Committee
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
HC 1189
29 April 2021
No response data available yet.
Recommendations
7 results
2
Para 27
We commend seafood and meat exporters on their efforts to prepare for the new trading...
Recommendation
We commend seafood and meat exporters on their efforts to prepare for the new trading environment with the EU amidst the covid-19 pandemic, and acknowledge the considerable uncertainty of what they were preparing for. In as much as this uncertainty …
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3
Para 28
The Government should also have worked more closely with the EU and Members States to...
Recommendation
The Government should also have worked more closely with the EU and Members States to test systems in advance of 1 January, pre-empting some of the teething problems exporters faced in January. The UK Government should learn from this, and …
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7
Para 38
Digital certification of EHCs is a vital step to reducing trade friction with the EU.
Recommendation
Digital certification of EHCs is a vital step to reducing trade friction with the EU. We acknowledge that the Government cannot require the European Union to accept electronic certification for GB seafood and meat exports. Nevertheless, the Government should make …
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8
Para 41
While the Seafood Disruption Support Scheme helped to compensate some SME seafood businesses for the...
Recommendation
While the Seafood Disruption Support Scheme helped to compensate some SME seafood businesses for the teething problems they faced in January, it did not offer compensation to businesses who had incurred costs preparing for the new trading environment with the …
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10
Para 47
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 …
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12
Great Britain should have introduced SPS checks on all EU imports from 1 January 2021...
Recommendation
Great Britain should have introduced SPS checks on all EU imports from 1 January 2021 to match the position taken by the EU. The continued absence of SPS checks and controls on EU imports undermines the competitiveness of British seafood …
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13
As this Report highlights, the TCA has introduced considerable trade friction for seafood and meat...
Recommendation
As this Report highlights, the TCA has introduced considerable trade friction for seafood and meat exporters. We welcome the Government’s willingness to engage with the EU to seek an equivalence mechanism on agri-foods. The Government should engage with the EU …
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Conclusions (6) Observations and findings — click to expand
1
Conclusion
Para 26
We welcome the successful negotiation of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) with the EU, and its preservation of tariff and quota free trade for seafood and meat. However, the Agreement introduces substantial non-tariff barriers for such exports, in particular the requirement for an Export Health Certificate (EHC). Although there …
4
Conclusion
Para 29
Since the Transition Period ended, Defra has worked with stakeholders to resolve these teething problems and we commend its efforts. However, the new non-tariff barriers for exporters to the EU will impose substantive and enduring costs. As a result, larger businesses may move the processing of seafood and meat to …
5
Conclusion
Para 35
The Government took early steps to secure a significant increase in capacity to deal with the substantial increase in demand for certification officers, and there does not appear to have been significant shortages. However, we note that increased demands for Official Veterinarians (OVs) to certify EHCs have reduced the number …
6
Conclusion
There is merit in exploring the creation of a public sector service of full-time certifying officers, especially given the Government’s desire to increase food and drink exports. This could increase confidence that EHCs would be promptly certified and provide a standardised pricing structure. Defra should examine the experience of other …
9
Conclusion
Para 43
Certification of Export Health Certificates have created additional costs to businesses, which fall disproportionately on SMEs. Defra should explore a version of the Movement Assistance Scheme that supports businesses with the cost of exporting seafood and meat and other food. Such a scheme could apply to the EU and other …
11
Conclusion
Many production grounds for LBM in England and Wales are predominantly Class B under the current arrangements, and therefore produce from them is ineligible for export to the EU unless purified first. We welcome the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) April 2021 seasonal classification of LBM production grounds in England which …