In the field of food safety, a no-deal Brexit will have significant economic consequences—primarily for the United Kingdom, and less so for the EU—but the EU will not compromise regarding the protection of its citizens and is well prepared for this scenario, Vice-President of the Commission Jyrki Katainen told the press on Thursday, 4 April.
Preparations in this sector began in December 2017. The stakes are high because, in his opinion, not only are consumer health and business operation at stake, but also the reputation of the EU, which is recognised as having the safest food production system.
“The EU has the highest food safety standards in the world. Free circulation of animals and food is possible thanks to a stringent system of shared controls. When the UK leaves the EU, it will be confronted with an obstacle we got rid of a long time ago: borders. Borders are not there to add red tape or slow things down. They are there to ensure that the food we eat is not a danger for our citizens and to protect our animals and plants and thus our extremely valuable agricultural patrimony. This is also very important for the UK as it imports more than 73% of its agri-food products from the EU”, the Vice-President declared.
A no-deal Brexit implies that new controls will have to be carried out at the EU’s borders with the United Kingdom, for which the EU has been preparing.
Indeed, Member States are in the process of setting up Border Inspection Posts, and the Commission is swiftly approving them, one by one. The countries that will be most affected by Brexit (France, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark) have recruited more than 2,000 professionals to carry out customs and safety checks.
The Commission is taking the necessary measures to allow British products and animals to continue to enter the EU, provided that the United Kingdom has adopted the relevant measures to ensure that food safety standards are met. For example, to export products of animal origin to the EU, the United Kingdom must be included on the European Commission’s list as a third country authorised to export to the EU, and the food must satisfy all food safety requirements.
“With an agri-food sector representing 130.7 billion euros of exports, it is crucial that we guarantee its safety and sustainability, or we would put at risk our worldwide reputation,” stressed Mr Katainen.
Controls at the Irish border are being considered. Mr Katainen did not rule out controls being re-established at the Irish border, indicating that “the Commission is working with the Irish authorities to find solutions”. The institution is ready to provide new technical and financial resources to ensure that product safety checks are carried out in the least bureaucratic way possible, he said. On this point, the preparations are not yet complete. “Currently, there is no border; that is why we have to find a way to carry out the controls. Imagining something from scratch is a bigger challenge”.
The Commission says that it is ready to support all Member States in taking new measures starting the day after Brexit. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)