While it was argued that diverging from the EU’s Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) framework may facilitate new trade agreements with other countries, it put an end to the regulatory harmony between the UK and the EU.

As a third country to the EU, British businesses are now subject to international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls, costing UK businesses millions in additional red tape and delays.

14. The UK should negotiate a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and veterinary equivalence agreement with the EU to facilitate seamless trade in livestock, plants, and related products. The SPS agreement should support wider Government efforts to level the trading playing field for UK food producers.