ANAFRIC participated in a roundtable discussion in Brussels organized by the UK Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to address the priorities of the upcoming UK-EU summit. The meeting brought together the UK Minister for European Affairs, Nick Thomas-Symonds, and representatives of European business organizations, including ANAFRIC, represented by its delegate in Brussels.
During the meeting, the main challenges to trade between the two parties following Brexit were analyzed, as well as the British government’s priorities for the upcoming bilateral summit, scheduled for the autumn.
The UK remains a strategic market for Spanish meat exporters, so the evolution of trade relations will have a direct impact on the sector’s competitiveness and access to the British market.
Priorities
Among the priorities set by the British Government are the reduction of trade restrictions, the digitization of customs procedures, the creation of a single trade window to simplify administrative processes, and the promotion of an agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) to facilitate agri-food trade.
In this context, ANAFRIC advocated for a more agile, predictable, and efficient trade framework for companies in the meat sector. Its main proposals include:
Recognition of the European Union as a single entity, avoiding differentiated regulations among Member States.
Mutual recognition of regional health measures related to animal diseases.
Mutual recognition of food hygiene standards.
The elimination of export health certificates, following models already implemented with countries such as Switzerland and Norway.
The replacement of routine border controls with random checks to expedite the entry of fresh products.
The association believes these measures would help reduce the administrative burden resulting from Brexit, shorten logistics times, and improve the competitiveness of Spanish exporting companies in the British market.
With its participation in this meeting, ANAFRIC, represented by Rosa Solanes, reinforces its role representing the Spanish meat sector before European institutions and policymakers at a crucial time for the future of trade relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Image: Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, third from the left. Rosa Solanes, third from the right in the foreground.
