Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has plans to implement EU Official Control Regulation 2017/625 on the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products.

The new Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 will apply in EU member states from 14 December 2019.

How and when the UK implements this Regulation will depend on our departure from the EU. If we leave the EU with a deal, there is likely to be an implementation period until at least 31 December 2020. During this period, EU law will apply including the Official Controls Regulation. The UK will therefore need to implement this new Regulation at the same time as EU member states on 14 December 2019.

In a no-deal situation, the UK will be able to choose whether and when to apply these measures as the Regulation will not apply automatically to the UK. However, UK exporters to the EU will have to meet the import requirements that apply to imports from third countries.