The European Commission and the United Kingdom have announced plans to establish a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area through a future EU-UK SPS Agreement. This joint initiative aims to reduce trade barriers for agri-food products, ease administrative burdens, and ensure smoother cross-border supply chains, particularly between Great Britain, the EU, and Northern Ireland.
Euroseeds Secretary General & CEO Garlich von Essen welcomed the announcement, stating: “This is a long-awaited and very welcome announcement. A common SPS framework will go a long way in restoring predictability and efficiency in EU-UK trade, specifically also in plant and plant products. Euroseeds supports the commitment to dynamic co-operation and we look forward to continued dialogue to ensure practical, science-based rules for all operators along the value chain.”
The envisioned SPS Agreement aims to minimize duplication, improve predictability, and remove existing trade obstacles while upholding high standards of food safety, animal and plant health, and consumer protection. Both sides have committed to a structured and ongoing dialogue to maintain alignment, transparency, and responsiveness to regulatory developments key to shaping a robust and future-proof SPS regime.
