Agriculture, fisheries, food and the environment: Lords ask Defra for update on Brexit preparations
The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has written to Defra Minister the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP, to ask for more details on the no deal preparations for agriculture, fisheries, food and the environment.
Of particular concern is that the Government has not yet reapplied for listed status which enables the UK to export animals to the EU. It remains unclear if the Government intends to reapply for listed status which could have major implications for the farming industry and could prevent them from exporting animals and animal products to the EU. The Committee have therefore asked what contingency measures are in place if the UK is not listed by the end of October.
The Committee have also asked if it intends to apply the temporary tariff regime and if so, for its response to concerns raised by the farming industry that the tariffs fail to support the egg, cereals, fruit and vegetable sectors; and that they create the risk of an oversupply and thus collapse in the price of milk and lamb within the UK.
The letter also raises other questions including:
- Fisheries – If the Government will honour the quota allocation commitments made at the December Council for the remainder of 2019 in the event of a ‘no deal' Brexit
- Food – For its response to the Food and Drink Federation's request for assurances that competition law will not be strictly applied in the event of a ‘no deal' Brexit in order to allow the food industry to manage any supply problems
- Environment – What progress has been made on establishing the Office for Environmental Protection
Read the letter to the Secretary of State
