Food Standards Scotland and Brexit

This has included assessing the possible impacts of the UK's exit from the EU on those stakeholders involved in the delivery of services to UK businesses involved in trade, both with the EU and with Third Countries.

Local authorities currently play a key role in providing export certification to businesses exporting food and drink products to Third Countries. Depending on the future trading arrangements agreed with the EU as part of the UK's departure from the EU, there might be an additional need for certification for products being exported into the EU.

Additionally, the Chinese government have recently implemented changes to their Food Law which will require formal Export Health Certificates to be provided for all food and drink products being exported to China. The new arrangements have to be implemented by October 2017.

FSS are working closely with FSA, Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to develop a process to implement the required new system.