Brexit agreement reached by UK and EU

NFU President Minette Batters welcomed the important progress that was made yesterday (14 November) after the Cabinet gave its approval to the Withdrawal Agreement which has been agreed by both the UK and EU negotiators
calendar icon 15 November 2018
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The next stage in the Article 50 process is for the EU and UK political leaders to approve the proposed agreement before it is ratified by their respective parliaments.

Mrs Batters said:

“Since the EU referendum, the NFU has maintained that free and frictionless trade for British farming is absolutely critical. This trading relationship allows British farmers to provide safe, traceable and affordable food to the public, all while adhering to some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the world. It is critical that we avoid the mayhem of a no-deal Brexit in March of next year, and this Withdrawal Agreement paves the way for a transition period that maintains free and frictionless trade with the EU, and provides stability for farmers and the wider economy.

“There is still a huge job to be done in negotiating the details of our future relationship with the EU: one that maintains free and frictionless trade, allows continued access to sufficient overseas labour where needed, and supports farmers in providing jobs and driving growth in rural communities, providing the raw materials for a domestic food industry that employs 3.8m people and generates £113bn in value for the UK economy. I hope this Withdrawal Agreement will now pave the way to negotiating a future relationship that secures all of these vital objectives.

“Despite today’s progress, there is still much work to be done. I would urge all involved to remember the importance of British food and farming when considering their support for the new agreement.”

Further Reading

Read the draft agreement here.

Emily Houghton

Editor, The Pig Site

Emily Houghton is a Zoology graduate from Cardiff University and was the editor of The Pig Site from October 2017 to May 2020. Emily has worked in livestock husbandry, and has written, conducted and assisted with research projects regarding the synthesis of welfare and productivity of free-range food species.

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