UK-EU summit offers hope to plant trade

The recent UK-EU summit delivered a glimmer of hope for landscapers who rely on plant trade with the EU or Northern Ireland, with leaders agreeing to ‘work towards’ a so-called sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.

Since the UK left the EU, those moving plants from the EU and Northern Ireland to Great Britain and visa-versa have faced additional paperwork and border checks, leading to greater costs for the supply chain.

An SPS agreement promises to remove such trade barriers by establishing a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, where the vast majority of plant and plant product movements would no longer be subject to the certificates and controls currently needed.

While the detail of such an agreement has not yet been set out, it could remove the need for some or all pre-notifications, phytosanitary certificates, and physical inspections, saving businesses time and money.

It is unclear whether the post-Brexit requirement to issue UK plant passports when moving products within Great Britain will be affected, though authorised importers can continue to ask EU suppliers to attached UK plant passports for them until 31 January 2027.

Aside from an SPS agreement, UK and EU leaders have also agreed to work towards linking their respective emission trading systems, with a mutual exemption from carbon border adjustment mechanisms.

The mutual exemption from carbon border adjustment mechanisms could help avoid border taxes on carbon-intensive goods such as steel – an import which will also benefit from an agreement to restore the UK’s quota to historic levels.

Commenting on the positive outcomes from the summit, Amy Cobbett, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at BALI, said:

“BALI welcomes this announcement of an EU-UK strategic partnership that will reduce bureaucratic burdens on landscaping businesses and offer more opportunities for BALI members to have long-term certainty across the industry. We look forward to working with government to ensure the details of the partnership will support a resilient and vital landscaping industry.”

You can read more on the UK-EU summit here.