The EU is threatening to time-limit any agreement to remove red tape on UK food and drink exports across the Channel unless it gets long-term access to British fishing waters.
The prospect of an expiry date on a so-called veterinary agreement with the UK — a key demand of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government — is designed to exert maximum leverage on London in negotiations over fishing rights.
Restricting the length of any veterinary deal with the UK would create uncertainty for exporters, diminishing the potential value of the deal and adding pressure on the UK from business to do an open-ended deal over fish.
The sensitive issue is one of the last remaining hurdles as the two sides close in on a deal to “reset” relations five years after Brexit at a summit on May 19.
The centrepiece of the deal is a defence and security pact, though the UK also wants to boost the economy by reducing trade barriers erected when it left the bloc.
Checks required on agricultural products such as cheese and beef are one of the largest barriers that Starmer’s government is seeking to remove.
Currently, Brussels insists on a panoply of forms and physical inspections of sensitive products because UK standards could differ from those of the EU.
This particularly disrupts trade with Northern Ireland. To avoid a hard border on the island, checks have been imposed on trade between it and the British mainland.
The UK government is under pressure for British business to get a deal, with leading UK supermarkets including Marks and Spencer and J Sainsbury writing an open letter last month urging both sides to reach an agreement.
Any deal would likely require the UK to follow EU standards and accept enforcement by the European Court of Justice.
The UK is the biggest market for EU agrifood exports in 2024, accounting for 23 per cent, or €54bn. They grew by €2.2bn that year.
The bloc imported €15.4bn from the UK, about half of UK food and drink exports.
While London argues a vet deal would therefore benefit the EU more, member states counter that the UK is in greater need because of its dependence on the EU market. “They are the ‘demandeur’ here,” said one diplomat involved in negotiations.
The Brexit deal cut EU fishing rights in UK waters by 25 per cent over five years, but in June 2026 it will lose all access unless a new arrangement is agreed. The diplomats said they expected a fish deal to last for at least five years.
One British official briefed on the negotiations said: “This is something that has been proposed but I think it’s safe to assume it won’t be the end state. Business needs certainty and having to renegotiate things every few years doesn’t help.”
The UK government said it is “not providing a running commentary on our discussions with the EU”, but added: “We are clear that we will always act in the national interest to secure the best outcomes for the UK.”
The European Commission declined to comment.
