Defra delays controversial new export rules for meat

THE UK is to delay new export rules which would have required farmers to provide a vet-signed attestation if their meat was to be exported to the EU.

The proposal – highlighted recently in The Scottish Farmer – would have seen the implementation of Defra’s controversial post-Brexit rule, due to come into force on December 13. Now, it will be postponed for one year.

This followed a coalition of 14 industry bodies which signed an open letter calling for a re-think on the proposed changes.

The regulatory change would have required farmers to provide a vet-signed attestation confirming regular farm visits, to ensure export compliance to the EU. Until now, farmers had been able to comply with EU Animal Health Regulations (AHR) by providing a simple farmer declaration that vet visits had been done.

In May this year, Defra took the unilateral decision to add a UK-only requirement for a veterinary attestation. Farms that are members of Red Tractor, QMS, or the Farm Assured Welsh Livestock, would meet the new requirement and would not need to provide further evidence at the point of export to official veterinarians (OVs).

However, farms that were not ‘assured’ would need to be able to provide evidence that they have had regular vet visits to enable OVs to sign export health certificates (EHCs) at the point of export.

The group issued a warning that the UK’s ability to export meat to the EU could ‘grind to a halt’ if the rule was implemented. NFU England argued that there was a real possibility that this will result in an inability to export meat to the EU, which is the destination for more than 72% of UK meat exports, worth an average of £1.3bn a year.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said the government’s decision to delay the rule’s implementation was a ‘welcome relief’. They said: “Given the current shortage of vets, moving the start date was essential to give all farmers affected enough time to arrange these visits.

“But there’s more work still to be done, and BMPA along with other industry bodies is now looking forward to working with Defra to help design a suitable system to manage and implement these new requirements.

“We need to define how the new vet attestations will be passed through the supply chain from farm to market to processor. And, if we’re to avoid having an unwieldy paper-based system, a new digital solution must be designed, developed and tested before December next year.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “Businesses exporting goods from GB to the EU are required by the EU to use EHCs signed by an official vet. This requirement is set by the EU and is not within the control of the UK government.

“We are engaging with businesses and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to try and ease the burden on exporters in meeting these EU requirements.”