UK–EU food trade deal risks harming farmers without safeguards, MPs say

Farmers and food producers risk being undercut and overburdened unless ministers secure key exemptions and allow enough time for change in any future EU trade deal, MPs have warned.

A new report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee says negotiations with the European Union on the trade of meat, plant and animal products must avoid disadvantaging domestic agriculture as talks gather pace.

The committee said a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement could lower costs, reduce border checks and make supply chains more resilient, but only if it is designed carefully.

At the heart of MPs’ concerns is so-called dynamic alignment, under which UK rules could be required to change automatically in line with future EU regulation.

Negotiations between the UK government and the European Commission on creating a common SPS area began in November 2025, with ministers aiming to conclude a deal by early 2027.

EFRA Committee chair Alistair Carmichael MP said closer trade with Europe could bring major benefits, but warned that the details would determine whether UK producers gain or lose.

“Making it easier to trade with our European neighbours should present a feast of benefits for British businesses, farmers and consumers,” he said.

“But there is a lot on the menu for the government to consider,” he added.

The committee is urging ministers to seek Swiss-style carve-outs from dynamic alignment, particularly in sensitive areas such as animal welfare.

Mr Carmichael said automatic alignment risked increasing costs for UK farmers while allowing cheaper imports produced to lower standards to enter the market, describing this as “a zero-sum game and a threat to our already wary industry”.

MPs also warned against regulatory alignment on pesticides that could see products banned in the UK without being assessed for British growing conditions.

“It would be a mistake for dynamic alignment to lead to products that are banned in the EU also being outlawed in the UK despite not having been tested in our climate and production systems,” Mr Carmichael said.

The report highlights precision breeding as another red line, noting that the UK moved ahead of the EU in November 2025 by introducing a legal framework allowing English farmers to grow and sell precision-bred seeds, plants, food and feed.

MPs warned that aligning too closely with EU rules could erode the benefits of that early move.

They also stressed that any SPS deal would require clear communication with businesses and the public, warning that confusion over the trade-offs involved could trigger political backlash.

“We need a national conversation on the realities of a future agreement,” Mr Carmichael said.

Alongside this, the committee raised concerns about parliamentary oversight, saying ministers must explain how future EU regulatory changes would be scrutinised if they were to be adopted in the UK.

MPs also called for a veterinary medicines agreement with the EU to be pursued alongside SPS talks, warning that access to some products in Northern Ireland remains unresolved.

“A veterinary and medicines deal that would benefit trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is long overdue,” Mr Carmichael said.

Looking ahead, the committee warned that any major regulatory changes would require time and investment to implement.

While the government hopes to establish a common SPS area in 2027, MPs said regulators, ports, businesses and frontline agencies would need long lead-in periods to adapt to new systems, training and equipment.

The report urges ministers to commit to implementation periods of at least 24 months and to publish contingency plans in case negotiations stall or fail, warning that biosecurity and border operations must not be left exposed.