Meat processors have called on the UK to immediately comply with EU food safety rules, warning that post-Brexit border controls will impose costs on exporters and threaten small businesses.
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has announced its priorities for the ongoing UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) negotiations, calling on ministers to act quickly to restore what it calls frictionless trade in food and agricultural products.
Since the UK left the EU single market, exporters face export health certificates, regular border checks and additional documentation when sending goods to the EU.
AIMS argues that these requirements duplicate controls already in place and harm its competitiveness.
Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director of AIMS, said: “The UK and EU operate to the same standards. The problem is not food safety. The problem is bureaucracy.”
“We’re regulating the same risks twice. It doesn’t make sense for consumers, it doesn’t make sense for businesses, it doesn’t make sense for regulators.”
At the heart of the group’s demands is an immediate “dynamic adjustment” to the EU SPS law. This means the UK will be in line with the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, removing the need for regular certification and inspection.
Such a move would represent an important political decision, as it would limit the UK’s ability to deviate from EU food safety regulations. However, AIMS claims that the theoretical freedoms are outweighed by the practical benefits.
The proposals include eliminating routine border checks, abolishing routine veterinary drug export certification, recognizing veterinary qualifications on both sides, and easing entry barriers for key professionals.
“Our view is that modern assurance systems, digital monitoring and intelligence-driven controls can provide better protection at a lower cost than traditional models,” Dr. Aldiss said.
He said certification requirements are outdated and unnecessary if the regulatory regime is equivalent.
“Authentication is a product of mistrust. If the systems are equivalent, certificates are redundant.”
The group argues that delays in reaching a consensus have a cumulative economic impact on exporters and reduce choice for consumers.
“Every month of delays hurts British businesses and undermines consumer choice,” Dr Aldiss said.
AIMS also warned that smaller regional processors were being disproportionately affected. With the current system, small businesses face higher costs per unit because they have fewer management resources and less volume to spread compliance costs over.
“If we allow bureaucracy to drive integration, we will weaken resilience and reduce food security,” he said.
Ministers have expressed a desire to improve trade deals with the EU, but the government has long argued that border controls are needed to protect biosecurity and maintain regulatory autonomy. Negotiations continue.
AIMS is calling on UK and EU negotiators to prioritize speed, certainty and mutual recognition of the system over lengthy transition arrangements.
“Delay itself is a policy choice, and it is wrong,” Dr. Aldiss said.
Agricultural exports to the EU remain an important market for UK producers, and the outcome of the SPS negotiations could shape the competitiveness and structure of the UK food processing sector for years to come.
