Livestock farming:

The Government remains focused on ensuring a smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU, with a deal, as soon as possible.

An extension has been agreed with the EU until 31 October 2019 at the latest, with the option to leave earlier as soon as a deal has been ratified. If a deal is ratified by both sides before that date, the UK will leave the EU earlier and in that case would leave with a deal.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has continued to prepare and consider the key issues for its stakeholders under all Brexit scenarios.

We have prepared this guide to help ensure that farmers and food producers know what they can do to prepare. The preparation work at Defra, from maintaining trade continuity to ensuring that EU workers can still travel to the UK to work on our farms, is significant.

We will also continue to update our advice on how people should prepare at www.gov.uk/euexitfarming.

There will be temporary tariffs on some imported products if we leave without a deal. The government recently published details of temporary tariffs. We advise you to check the rates and quotas to understand how your produce may be affected.

Tariffs and tariff rate quotas include sheep meat, beef and poultry sectors. Tariffs will also be applied to butter, cheese and pig meat, which would protect these sectors from cheaper food imports entering the domestic market.

There are no tariffs on animal feed or fuel which would affect the purchase of these items.
If you employ citizens from outside of the UK:
ï‚· EU citizens can continue to enter the UK and take up work in 2019 and 2020.
ï‚· EU citizens who have arrived before the UK leaves the EU, will still be able to apply for Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme. They will have until the end of December 2020 to make their application.
ï‚· If we leave without a deal, EU citizens arriving after we exit who want to stay for more than three months, will need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain to continue working in the UK. This will be granted for a further 36 months, subject to identity, criminality and security checks.

There are a number of professions within the livestock industry that play key roles in safeguarding animal health and welfare and may be subject to changes when we leave the EU:
ï‚· Vets: instead of recognition of veterinary qualifications from EU/EEA countries automatically, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons will ensure that veterinary qualifications meet the required equivalent standards. Professional qualifications achieved within EEA countries will continue to be accepted in the UK until at least December 2020.
ï‚· Farriers: EEA nationals will still be able to register to practice in Great Britain, and will need to meet the same conditions as any non-EU country. This will not affect those already registered to practice farriery in Great Britain. Those who are in the process of registering with the Farriers Registration Council can have their application considered under the current rules.
ï‚· Slaughterers: EU nationals working as slaughterers will require a UK certificate of competence, in order to continue to practice.

Animal welfare:
The Government will continue its commitment to make the UK a leader in the care and protection of animals. We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, and the regulatory system will offer the same level of assurance when we leave the EU as it does now.

In the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Government is also working closely with the pharmaceutical industry to help maintain supplies of animal medicines. As well as making sure all goods can enter the UK as smoothly as possible through alternative routes and different freight methods, there will be extra capacity for critical goods including veterinary medicines.

Animal breeding:
If you are a recognised UK breed society or breeder, you must also be listed by the European Commission or in an EU breeding book to trade with EU and non-EU countries when we leave the EU. If you don't trade with EU bodies, you don't need to do anything differently.
Labelling:
The UK has no control over how food labelling changes will be enforced outside the UK. The EU has issued guidance confirming that labelling changes will need to be in place from exit day to export to their markets. Other non-EU countries may also require changes to be in place to export to their markets.
Labelling changes required to export your products to the EU when we leave, include:
ï‚· EU emblem: You must not use the EU emblem on goods produced in the UK unless you have been authorised by the EU to do so.
ï‚· EU health and identification marks: If you export products of animal origin (POAO) from the UK to the EU, you must replace the EU oval health and identification marks with new UK health and identification marks, which are now available which are now available on the Food Standards Agency website.
ï‚· Country of origin labels: UK food must not be labelled as origin 'EU'.
When the UK leaves the EU, livestock travelling from the UK to the EU must be identified with an ear tag that includes the ISO code of the exporting country. The Commission have confirmed that the designated ISO code for the UK is 'GB'. Currently all livestock born in the UK are identified with ear tags showing 'UK'.

Marketing Standards:
There may be changes to the marketing standards for exports of some animal products to the EU from day one. Some of the products that will be affected include:
– beef, veal, poultry, eggs, hatching eggs and chicks.
The government has produced guidance on labelling and marketing standards which you can find at www.gov.uk/euexitfarming.

If you use pesticides and fertilisers the process will remain the same with or without a deal:
ï‚· you'll still be able to buy the same amount and quality of fertilizer; and
ï‚· the same pesticide products will continue to be authorised for use in the UK, regulated by the Health and Safety Executive.
EU Exit practical support:
Topic
Email
Contact number
Exports of animal products (where an export health certificate is needed) and imports of live animals
[email protected]
0300 020 0301
Livestock export queries
[email protected]
0300 020 0301
Moving horses and other equine animals between UK and EU member states
[email protected]
0300 020 0301
Importing and exporting plants, plant products and seeds
[email protected]
0190 440 5138
Pesticides, including queries on potential residues in food and crop spraying
Advice form on the Health and Safety Executive website
0345 933 5577
Environmental protection farming enquiries
[email protected]
0300 060 3900
Food safety and hygiene, including imports of high-risk food and feed
[email protected]
020 7276 8829

For more information and the latest advice go to www.gov.uk/euexitfarming.

Attachments:

• EU_Exit_A4_LIVESTOCK_NEWSLETTER_FARMING_25.04.19.pdf