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UK publishes guidance on SPS food trade agreement with EU

The UK government has shared guidance on how food businesses can prepare for its upcoming Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is currently drafting a new food trade deal, known as the SPS agreement, with the EU that aims to improve trading conditions for farmers and food producers operating in the UK and EU markets.

At a glance:

• The UK-EU SPS agreement is aimed to simplify food trade, cutting red tape and potentially adding £5.1 billion annually to the UK economy by mid-2027.
• Fees for Export Health Certificates, inspections, and organic certifications will be scrapped, reducing costs for exporters.
• UK food businesses must align with EU rules on safety, labelling, additives, and pesticides.

Simplifying UK-EU trade

The new SPS agreement aims to make it easier for agrifood players to do business by simplifying the checks required for products transported between the UK and the EU. It will reduce unnecessary paperwork, lower costs for exporters, and ensure the ongoing food supply between the two markets.

Designed to align with the EU’s SPS legislation, the UK’s upcoming agreement will focus on food safety, labelling, organics, marketing, and compositional standards. It will also cover broader areas of the nutrition industry, such as food supplements, fortified foods, and foods for specific groups, as well as the regulation of pesticides and biocides.

UK exports of agrifood goods to the EU have dropped by 22% since 2018 – a figure that, according to DEFRA, amounts to nearly £4 billion (€4.67bn) in lost trade, prompting calls for a new SPS agreement.

"Our agrifood deal could add up to £5.1 billion a year to our economy, slashing the costly red tape that holds back our great British food exports,” a UK government spokesperson told Ingredients Network.

The SPS agreement is expected to take effect in mid-2027, giving food producers and farmers approximately 12 months to consider and make any changes to their business processes and systems.

Fees for certificates to be scrapped

The new trade deal is expected to lower food companies' costs, particularly relating to complex border paperwork. Under the newly proposed SPS agreement, food companies will avoid paying current fees for Export Health Certificates, Phytosanitary Certificates, and inspections. Costs relating to Organic Certificates of Inspection, identity check fees, and sampling will also be removed.

Regardless of whether food businesses operate in the EU or only in the UK, all UK-registered companies will need to comply with the relevant EU rules under the new agreement. Agrifood businesses may therefore need to update their processing methods, certification and labelling, and IT systems to align with the EU’s rules.

What will the SPS agreement cover?

On 1 June, DEFRA published an initial guidance document covering industry areas expected to be within the scope of the SPS agreement, including food safety, plant health, and animal welfare; information on the role of digital systems; and potential updates to certification, paperwork, and border-check processes.

On 25 June, DEFRA then published further guidance on how specific sectors within the agrifood industry can prepare for the upcoming trade changes. This guidance includes specific updates for fish and shellfish businesses, food manufacturers, food producers, genetic technology companies, and organic operators.

"We have kept British businesses informed throughout this process and will continue to work closely with them to ensure they can take advantage of easier access to our largest trading partner,” the UK government spokesperson said.

New SPS authorisations apply to food additives, enzymes, flavourings, and more

Under the new SPS agreement, the UK government confirmed that EU food and feed authorisations will replace Great British authorisations and will apply to regulated products and processes, including food additives, food enzymes, flavourings, genetically modified organisms used as food and feed, and novel foods.

The rules for crop producers, breeders, importers, and exporters are also expected to change to align with EU requirements. Pesticide and biocide use will also be updated under the new SPS agreement.

In a May 2025 Common Understanding, the EU accepted that the UK will retain its own rules in certain areas, subject to negotiations between the two markets. Although these remain undecided, the UK government has emphasised the importance of setting high animal welfare standards, supporting public health, and promoting the use of innovative technologies.