The UK has delayed its post-Brexit border checks on certain EU goods by six months to give businesses more time to prepare for the full impact of the transition.

In the food sector, health certificates on imports such as meat and milk will be pushed back from next month to October.

“Physical checks have the potential to be among the most troublesome and cause the most delays if systems are run badly,” Tom Holder, press and communications lead at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“This easement only applies to F&B, as they are the only ones to require sanitary and phytosanitary checks, veterinary checks and export health certificates, among others.” 

In-person inspections on animal products due in July have also been pushed back to January 2022.

The government claims that the new timetable will be helpful to firms recovering in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This move comes at the heels of a recent national budget announcement, which highlighted the extension of Britain’s furlough scheme and issuing a “super deduction” of 130 percent on investment taxes.

“Government must now use this time to do everything it can to support UK food and drink exporters who continue to face huge difficulties moving goods into the EU,” urges Ian Wright, chief executive of the UK Food and Drink Federation.

“They must work constructively with the EU to address barriers to trade by improving the implementation of the trade agreement and streamlining processes.”

Acclimating to a new trading environment
The EU has been implementing full checks on goods sent from the UK since the start of this year.

Seafood is an area which has been impacted badly by the new system. Some exporters have not had the correct paperwork and new customs procedures on both sides of the English Channel have caused delays.

Meanwhile, there have been numerous reports of major losses for UK-based meat exporters. Many say that perishable meat products destined for the EU were delayed so much at the border and rotted consignments had to be thrown away. 

Until the infrastructure is in place, with IT systems ready and established processes for checks and paperwork, the BRC argues it “would be foolhardy” to introduce full requirements for EHC documentation, pre-notification of imports, physical checks and more.

“We are pleased that the government has listened to us and postponed border checks until the systems and border posts are ready. With many of the key Border Control Posts currently little more than a hole in the ground, the six month easement comes in the nick of time,” says Andrew Opie, director of food & sustainability at the BRC.

“We welcome the government’s decision, which will ultimately reduce the impact on consumers from April 1, who might otherwise have seen empty shelves for some products,” he continues.

“Government must not rest on its laurels, and the next six months must be used to establish and communicate the new systems with UK retailers and EU suppliers.”