UK meatpackers blast government for "snail's pace" Brexit talks
The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has strongly criticised the UK government for what it calls the "snail's pace" at which the Brexit talks are taking place.
Officially, the UK left the European Union on 31 January and is currently in a transition period, which ends on 31 December this year. Both parties are currently engaged in trade negotiations, but progress has been slow, hampered by disagreements over various issues including fishing rights and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared to indicate that if there was no agreement by 15 October, there was unlikely to be one at all.
If this happens, then the UK would fall back onto WTO terms for trade with its former EU partners from 1 January 2021.
In a press release, the BMPA has strongly urged the Prime Minister and his team to double their efforts in getting a deal done, or to issue guidance for the post-Brexit era for meat exporters if no deal happens.
It said: "Despite reassurances from our Prime Minister last week that “we’re ready for any eventuality”, the reality is is that many key issues remain unresolved. Brexit contingency preparations are proceeding at a snail’s pace and the UK Government’s ‘Brexit Report Card’ to date reveals some glaring weaknesses in an export system that is about to become massively overloaded.
Unless a number of key issues are urgently addressed, £1.2 billion (€1.3 billion) of annual meat exports will be at risk along with thousands of jobs in the meat and livestock sector."
The BMPA's chief executive Nick Allen said: "After months of meetings and talks with Government which have yielded little progress, the British meat industry, along with other sectors that rely on overseas trade, has lost patience and we are calling publicly for Government to step up the pace and solve these issues before it is too late.”
“With less than four months to go Britain has a woeful lack of infrastructure and people to operate the new export system which if not addressed, will result in massive delays, extra cost and lost orders.”
The industry body has outlined several areas of concern including the lack of guidance on export health certificates, which are presently only required for exports from the UK to markets outside of the EU, as well as the need to recruit more vets, who will be needed for the inspection of meat plants prior to export.
"Our message to the Government is that this is not good enough. They have had four years to prepare and have known all along that these technical issues will need to be addressed regardless of whether or not we get a deal. We’re now less than four months from the end of the transition period and we can’t stay silent on the lack of progress any longer," said the BMPA.
In a statement reportedly sent to food industry news portal just-food, a spokesperson for the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said: "At the end of the year we will be outside the single market and the customs union and intensive planning is under way to help ensure that businesses and citizens are ready to take advantage of the opportunities and changes that will bring.
"We are working closely with vets and food producers to ensure they are ready for the UK's new chapter, including establishing a new online application service for export health certificates and supporting the training of additional Certification Support Officers to ensure all vital paperwork is ready as UK produce is exported around the world."
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