News Brexit
No Brexit chaos, bottlenecks are increasing
The agricultural sector has generally reacted positively to the Brexit deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The UK remains accessible for Dutch fruit and vegetables without additional tariffs and the extra customs formalities have not (yet) led to major problems. Yet there are bottlenecks.
In the last weeks of December, many companies built up extra stocks so as not to run into problems immediately in the event of any difficulties with border traffic. The extra stock has provided peace of mind in the first week after Brexit. Also due to the strict lockdown in the UK, due to the contagious corona variant that lives there, border traffic is calmer than normal. Customs expects freight traffic to return to normal levels in the coming weeks.
Seed potatoes hot issue
With an amendment, the EU has lifted the ban on the import and export of ware potatoes. These can be imported and exported between the UK and the EU under the deal, albeit with a phytosanitary export certificate, without any problems. Seed potatoes fall into a different category, which means that England, Scotland and Wales can no longer export to the EU and Northern Ireland.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon reacted furiously that in the negotiations no exception for seed potatoes was stipulated. The ban does, however, offer opportunities for EU countries to supply the Northern Irish with seed potatoes.
Changing legislation
After Brexit, the UK will no longer be bound by European law. In order to maintain a level playing field with the EU, the agreement stipulates that the country will comply with EU law. This agreement is not binding. The English Ministry of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is exploring the newly created situation.
The English Secretary of State for Agriculture, George Eustice, opened a consultation round on 7 January to inventory the possibilities and consequences of genetic modification. The first round of research is mainly focused on gene editing (GE) such as Crispr-Cas. This is a different technique than genetic modification (GMO), where DNA from one organism is introduced into another organism. GE is a technique that speeds up the process of traditional breeding. The European Court of Justice ruled in 2018 that GE-modified crops also fall under GMO legislation.
Chance for Crispr-Cas
"GE offers the opportunity to exploit the genetic resources that mother nature provides," Eustice said on the UK government's site. "This includes breeding plants that perform better and reduce costs for farmers and the environment." Several countries, such as Japan, Argentina and Australia, have already amended their legislation. They rate GE crops as non-GMO, as long as the adaptation could even be achieved through natural breeding. Various (British) stakeholders can submit their views and substantiation up to and including 17 March. Three months later, the government issued an official response.
Traceability
GE crops are indistinguishable from traditionally bred plants. Should the UK actually decide to allow this technique, this could have major consequences for the trade relationship with the EU. British farmers gain a competitive advantage over their counterparts on the continent. It is difficult to make a distinction between products that are and are not admitted to the EU because of traceability.
Jurphaas Lugtenburg
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