Brexit may create live exports loophole

THE Brexit deal agreed between the UK and EU could create an Irish loophole around proposals in Britain to ban live exports.

Campaigners who want to see an end to live exports believe the UK’s withdrawal agreement may make a ban impossible.

Britain’s Environment Secretary Michael Gove said that once Britain leaves the EU, the country could ban the export of thousands of live farm animals to mainland Europe. The policy which will likely be opposed by farming organisations would enjoy support from campaign groups pushing for a broad ban, amid rising anger over animals suffering terrible health problems and death as they are taken in trucks across the continent.

But campaigners who have studied the draft Brexit agreement, which was published last week, say the document could undermine plans for a ban.

The Northern Ireland back- stop protocol states “Quantitative restrictions on exports and imports shall be prohibited between the Union and Northern Ireland” — effectively insisting on free movement of goods.

Animal rights groups, which had hoped Brexit could allow for a ban, fear that instead this wording will create a loophole that would prevent a ban.

In a recent paper on the issue, the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) in Northern Ireland said as Northern Ireland is separated from GB by a body of water there is the potential for this proposed export ban to cause greater disruption to the beef and sheep industries in NI than any other region of the UK.

It said that it is worth noting that travel times between NI and GB are short in comparison to trade from GB to the EU.

It also noted that Northern Ireland is also in the unique position of being the only part of the UK to have a land border with another EU member state which facilitates much shorter transport times.