Update on Seed Potato UK/ EU restriction

24 Nov 2022

The 2nd meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures under the EU/UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement was held on 19th October.

The UK repeated its requests for the EU to lift restrictions on Great Britain imports of undepurated Class B Live Bivalve Molluscs and seed potatoes. The UK requested an update following its written request in June 2022 for the EU to provide the risk assessments underpinning these measures. The parties set out their respective positions. The UK restated that it does not believe the EU’s import restrictions are in line with the SPS Chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), in particular Article 73, to be proportionate to the risk identified and to take into account the identical or similar SPS conditions that exist. The EU responded that these measures were introduced long before the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and apply in a non-discriminatory manner to all non-EU countries, with the exception of countries and territories participating in the EU’s SPS regime through dynamic alignment of their rules with those of the EU. The UK is subject to these measures since the end of the transition period, in respect of Great Britain, due to its choice to apply a regulatory regime independent from that of the EU. The EU acknowledged receipt of the UK’s written request relating to the risk assessments and confirmed that it is being looked into, but were unable to provide a specific timeline.

A further meeting will be held in early Dec and members (specifically in relation to seed potatoes) are encouraged to provide information on how this is affecting trade in terms of volume and lost income. In the first instance, please contact KShields@freshproduce.org.uk

Second meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, 19 October 2022: minutes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)