Fresh concerns over red tape facing Welsh farmers exporting lamb to EU

Emily Price 

Fresh concerns have been raised in the UK Parliament about the “continued red tape” facing Welsh farmers and food producers exporting meat, particularly lamb, to the European Union.

During a debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday (January 7), secured by the Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, his party highlighted how producers in rural areas of Wales are still encountering significant costs, delays and bureaucracy when exporting to key EU markets including Germany and the Netherlands.

Welsh lamb exports are especially exposed to post-Brexit barriers.

While the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement removed tariffs and quotas, it introduced new non-tariff barriers, including export health certificates, veterinary sign-off and sanitary and phytosanitary checks.

These requirements were absent when the UK was part of the EU Single Market and Customs Union.

Although the UK Government has announced progress towards closer cooperation with the EU on food and agricultural trade, there is still no fully settled or implemented Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement in place.

As a result, exporters remain subject to many of the same requirements introduced after Brexit, with smaller producers often bearing the greatest burden.

Welsh food and drink exports were worth £813 million in 2023, with around 75% destined for EU countries.

The EU remains the destination for around a third of Welsh lamb exports, around 90% of Welsh beef exports and the vast majority of Welsh dairy exports, underlining how vital smooth access to European markets is for rural Wales.

During the Westminister debate, the Lib Dems warned that repeated delays to the UK’s own border control system and uneven inspection regimes have left UK farmers at a “disadvantage”, while imports face fewer checks than equivalent British exports.

David Chadwick said this was the direct result of Brexit decisions taken “by Conservative governments, supported and promoted by Reform UK, without regard for the practical impact on agriculture”.

Speaking during the debate, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kate Dearden, said the UK Government’s goal was to make trade with the EU “cheaper and easier while keeping high standards”.

She said: “That is why we are pursuing the UK-EU SPS agreement, which will create a common SPS area to cut border friction and boost competitiveness.

“Negotiations on the agreement have already begun. This is a major step forward. The deal will deliver real benefits, scrapping export health certificates for most consignments—saving up to £200 for each one—and ending routine SPS border control checks so that fresh meat moves faster with less paperwork.

“It will also reopen the EU market for trade in products like fresh sausages and burgers. These changes will strengthen supply chains, cut costs and help meat exporters grow.”

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the UK Government to “urgently secure” a fully implemented SPS agreement with the EU, developed in close collaboration with farmers and food producers, to “reduce unnecessary barriers, protect rural livelihoods and restore confidence in export markets”.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Wales, David Chadwick, said: “Welsh farmers were promised that Brexit would make exporting easier. Instead, Conservative governments, cheered on by Reform UK, delivered more paperwork, higher costs and fewer markets.

“Farmers in rural Wales are still paying the price for ideological decisions taken in Westminster with little understanding of how agriculture actually works.

“Warm words and future negotiations are not enough. The Government needs to stop dragging its feet, finish the job on an SPS agreement with the EU, and give Welsh farmers back the ability to sell their world-class produce without unnecessary red tape.”