UK and EU agree draft deal to scrap post-Brexit checks on food exports

Britain and the European Union have agreed the draft terms of a deal to remove much of the post-Brexit red tape facing food and farm exporters, ahead of a UK-EU summit on November 20.

The agreement, known as a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal, covers the rules on food safety and animal and plant health that have required British exporters to fill in certificates and face inspections since the UK left the EU's single market.

What would change

The deal would strip out many of the certificates, physical inspections and border procedures introduced after Brexit, cutting costs and delays for businesses trading across the Channel. Routine checks on food imports from the EU are expected to be largely removed.

Food and agriculture exporters, many of them small businesses, have been among the hardest hit by Brexit paperwork, with some giving up selling to the EU altogether.

Northern Ireland

The deal is especially significant for Northern Ireland. It would sharply reduce the impact of the so-called Irish Sea border, the checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland that were introduced to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

The trade-off

In exchange, the UK would accept closer alignment with EU rules in the areas covered, limiting its freedom to set different standards. Supporters say that is a price worth paying for smoother trade with the UK's biggest trading partner. Critics argue it hands rule-making to Brussels in areas where Britain has no vote.

Checks on food from the rest of the world would continue, and are expected to be brought into line with the EU's own checks.

Next steps

The draft goes to EU member states for consideration. The summit statement is expected to leave some measures to be concluded later, rather than finalising everything on November 20. The UK government's aim is for the agreement to take effect in mid-2027.

The deal builds on a framework both sides agreed in principle in May 2025, as part of a wider "reset" in relations under which the UK and EU have also deepened cooperation on defence and security.