The UK announced on Monday that its new economic agreement with the European Union will ease customs checks on food and plant products, enabling the smooth flow of goods once more.
According to a statement from Downing Street, the pact is projected to boost the UK economy by nearly £9 billion (\$12 billion) by 2040. It also links emissions quotas between the two sides, shielding British companies from the EU’s carbon tax.
The removal of customs and administrative barriers was a top priority for the UK during negotiations with Brussels. The agreement, unveiled on Monday, also encompasses provisions on defence and fishing rights, marking a significant milestone five years after Brexit.
The joint agreement “will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported” to reduce “burdens on businesses and led to lengthy lorry queues at the border”, London said.
“Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely,” it added.
The European Union is by far the UK’s largest trading partner, but British exports to the bloc have fallen by 21 percent, and imports by seven percent, since it left the EU in 2020.
The document agreed upon by Brussels and London, reviewed by AFP, includes a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement (SPS) which establishes rules covering health, food safety and general consumer protection.
It allows “the vast majority of movements of animals, animal products, plants, and plant products between Great Britain and the European Union being undertaken without the certificates or controls”.
In the event of a disagreement over these standards, an independent dispute resolution mechanism will be established, but the Court of Justice of the European Union remains the ultimate authority.
The Labour government hopes these SPS measures, along with closer cooperation on emissions quotas, will deliver on its mission of growing the economy.