Farmers and food producers risk being under-burdened unless ministers secure key exemptions and give enough time to make changes to future EU trade deals, MPs have warned.
Negotiations with the European Union on trade in meat, plant and animal products must avoid penalizing domestic agriculture as negotiations accelerate, a new report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) says.
The commission said sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreements can reduce costs, reduce border checks and increase the resilience of supply chains, but only if carefully designed.
At the center of MPs’ concerns is so-called dynamic adjustment, which could require UK rules to be automatically changed to align with future EU regulations.
Negotiations between the UK Government and the European Commission on the creation of a common SPS region will begin in November 2025, with ministers aiming to conclude an agreement by early 2027.
EFRA committee chair Alistair Carmichael MP said closer trade with Europe could bring big benefits, but warned that the details will determine whether British producers gain or lose.
“It should bring huge benefits to UK businesses, farmers and consumers by making it easier to trade with our European neighbours,” he said.
“But there is a lot on the menu for the government to consider,” he added.
The committee is calling on ministers to explore Swiss-style carve-outs through dynamic adjustments, particularly in sensitive areas such as animal welfare.
Mr Carmichael said auto-regulation risks increasing costs for UK farmers while also allowing cheaper imports produced to lower standards to enter the market, describing it as a “zero-sum game and a threat to our already alarmed industry”.
MPs also warned that tweaks to pesticide regulations could result in products being banned in the UK without assessing UK growing conditions.
“It would be a mistake for a product that is banned in the EU to be banned in the UK due to dynamic adjustment, even though it has not been tested in our climate or production system,” Mr Carmichael said.
The report highlights precision breeding as another red line, noting that in November 2025, the UK became the first country in the EU to introduce a legal framework allowing British farmers to grow and sell precision-bred seeds, plants, food and feed.
Lawmakers warned that aligning too closely with EU rules could undermine the benefits of early movement.
They also stressed that dealing with SPS requires clear communication with businesses and the public, warning that confusion over the trade-offs involved could spark a political backlash.
“We need a national conversation about the realities of a future agreement,” Mr Carmichael said.
In addition to this, the committee raised concerns about parliamentary oversight, saying ministers should explain how future EU regulatory changes would be scrutinized if adopted in the UK.
MPs also warned that access to some products in Northern Ireland remained unresolved and called for a veterinary medicines agreement with the EU to be pursued alongside SPS negotiations.
Mr Carmichael said: “A veterinary medicines and medicines deal that will benefit trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is long overdue.”
Looking ahead, the commission warned that major regulatory changes will require time and investment to implement.
The government hopes to establish a common SPS area in 2027, but MPs said a long implementation period would be needed for regulators, ports, businesses and frontline agencies to adapt to new systems, training and equipment.
The report calls on ministers to commit to an implementation period of at least 24 months and to publish contingency plans in case negotiations stall or fail, and warns against leaving biosecurity and border operations exposed.
