The government has announced it is suspending extra border checks on live animal imports from the European Union to help cut costs for businesses and ease trade.
In May, the UK and EU agreed a sanitary and phytosanitary deal as part of a wider reset of relations between the two. However, due to finer details still being negotiated, the deal has not yet been implemented.
On Monday though, the UK government announced it was suspending the previously planned introduction of extra border checks on live animal imports from the EU, along with extra border checks on some animal and plant goods imported from Ireland.
The government said the move will “will slash red tape, cut costs for businesses, and speed up the smooth flow of agrifood trade at the border.”
The deal with the EU will establish a shared sanitary and phytosanitary zone between the UK and the trading bloc, reducing delays at the border and making food trade with the EU cheaper and easier.
The agreement will also see border checks no longer required on certain plant and animal goods arriving from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Some live animals imported from the EU will continue to be inspected at their place of destination based on a series of risk factors.
Biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman said the deal will “boost British businesses as we cut cumbersome bureaucracy and make trading food with our biggest market both cheaper and easier.”
“Protecting the UK’s biosecurity is essential, and our partnership with the EU will ensure this while delivering for working people as part of our Plan for Change,” she added.
This comes after the government announced in June that border checks on EU fruit and veg imports have been scrapped to ease trade ahead of the SPS deal.