The European Council authorized the European Commission to begin negotiations with the United Kingdom on an agreement to create a common sanitary and phytosanitary zone. The goal is to reduce the burden of agricultural trade between the EU and the UK through the harmonization of sanitary and phytosanitary rules.
The proposed agreements follow the EU–UK summit and the subsequent Common Understanding reached between the Commission and the UK government on May 19, 2025.
Such an agreement would align Britain’s sanitary and phytosanitary rules with those of the EU, eliminating the need for most certificates and inspections for animals, plants, and related products moving between Great Britain and the EU. Through the Windsor Framework, these benefits would also apply to movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while preserving Northern Ireland’s dual access to both the EU Single Market and the UK domestic market.
Source: Eurocarne
