UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement
Thursday, 22 October 2026
Contributions
Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)Conservative
4. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement on the farming sector.
John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)Conservative
6. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement on the farming sector.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Stephen Morgan)Labour
The Government are in the final stages of negotiating a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier by removing trade barriers for British producers. An SPS agreement could increase the volume of UK exports of major primary agricultural commodities to the EU by around 16%. A regulatory impact assessment will be prepared as part of the normal process. Details are subject to ongoing negotiations, and we will not be providing a running commentary.
England has become a world leader in gene editing and precision breeding. That has increased crop yields and eradicated diseases, and it helps to protect domestic, and potentially global, food security. But much of this technology is banned in the European Union, and dynamic alignment will mean that we cannot use it. What representations has the Minister made to the Cabinet Office and to Ministers in negotiations with the European Union to ensure that gene editing and our world-leading technologies are protected?
I am committed to the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023. Details of the agreement are subject to negotiation, and the EU-UK “Common Understanding” sets out the agreement, which will include a short list of exceptions. I can confirm that the UK has been clear about the importance of being able to support the use of new and innovative technologies.
CropLife UK warns that the heedless rush to align with the EU could cost British farming £810 million. That is £810 million off bottom lines, which are already very marginal. Further, it could also hit production in this country, so we cannot export what we are not even growing. What assessment is the Government making of CropLife UK’s report that says this EU alignment could be dangerous for farming?
The CropLife UK report is clear that the numbers presented are a worst-case scenario. We are building a new pragmatic relationship with the EU, markedly different to what has gone before, which will bring clear benefits with closer alignment. Negotiations are in their final stages, and the Government will set out further details as they conclude.
Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)Labour
My Carlisle constituency is home to one of only two herds of European bison in the country. To expand the herd and maintain a healthy breeding population, they will require access to high-quality genetic material—I will leave that to the imagination. As part of the assessment of the SPS agreement, will the Minister ensure that the UK’s import regime supports the access that herd needs?
My hon. Friend is a real champion of these issues, especially the innovation in that industry. We recognise the importance of access to high-quality genetic material for maintaining healthy breeding populations. Zoo technical arrangements facilitate trade in breeding animals and genetic material, but the details of future arrangements will depend on the outcome of the ongoing UK-EU SPS negotiations.
Mr SpeakerSpeaker
I call the shadow Minister.
Robbie Moore (Keighley and Ilkley) (Con)Conservative
The EU summit is to take place in just 28 days’ time, but the Farming Minister cannot answer key questions, not just from us but from our farming community. We still have no confirmation that the precision breeding Act—widely recognised as a huge success—will be 100% protected. We have no reassurance that our current freedom to innovate in gene editing and bovine TB vaccine development will be a red line, and we have no acknowledgment that the alignment with the EU on plant protection products could slash £810 million from farming incomes in the first year alone. What guarantees can the Farming Minister give our farmers right now that this Labour Government will not sell them out to the EU, just like they sold out our British fishermen last May when they previously negotiated with Brussels?
The shadow Minister has some brass neck, given all the deals that his Government did and tried to get over the line, selling out our British farmers. DEFRA continues to work closely with industry. When negotiations conclude, we will be able to provide more definitive answers on the exact nature of any alignment. I cannot comment on the specifics of the agreement, but we have been clear that we will only pursue an SPS agreement that has British interests at its heart.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5423131.