London, UK: The government has caved in to pressure to delay post-Brexit checks on fresh products coming to the UK from the EU, due to be introduced in October, according to reports.
The Financial Times was told by government insiders that further details of the rules applying to food imports would be published “very soon” but the introduction of those checks would be suspended again – for the fifth time.
It is expected that they will now be pushed back to the end of January when the physical sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks are due to become operational – exactly what the Cold Chain Federation had called for in a letter to ministers.
A survey by the CCF had revealed that a third of EU food businesses supplying the UK were not ready for the looming post-Brexit rule changes.
The government’s reasoning for the delay seems to be that the extra red tape would increase the cost of food imports to consumers and fuel further inflation.
Shane Brennan, chief executive of the CCF, told the Guardian: “The government has made the right decision to postpone. UK food retailers, hospitality businesses and consumers were in line for major disruption because many EU food-producing businesses supplying into the UK are not ready for the new requirements.”
In April the government announced the checks would finally be phased in from 31 October, with further checks implemented in 2023 and 2024.
