The UK government is postponing checks on imported food and fresh products from the EU until the end of 2023. These controls were due to be introduced in July of 2022, but the government said yesterday that the review will look at how to implement the remaining checks ‘in an improved way’ and that its conclusions will be published in the fall. The new controls regime will then be coming into force by the end of next year.
This statement marks the fourth time Britain has delayed the introduction of sanitary and phytosanitary checks on EU imports. Ministers justified previous delays by citing the need to give businesses in the EU more time to adapt to the new requirements and for ports to build the necessary infrastructure.
Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said businesses will now be able to focus on recovering from the pandemic, tackling global supply chain issues, and ensuring new costs are not passed on to consumers.
Source: politico.eu