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New UK-EU deal long overdue, says garden centre owner

John Campbell and Andrew McNair
BBC News NI
BBC A man with grey hair wearing a purply shirt, stands before shelves of various plants in a garden centre. It is inside greenhouse covers. BBC
Robin Mercer has had difficulty sourcing roses

The new agri-food deal with the EU will mean the reversal of a ban on British- grown plants being sold in Northern Ireland.

Some common varieties have been prohibited since 2021 under the terms of Northern Ireland's original Brexit deal.

That deal meant Northern Ireland continued to follow the EU's strict rules on plant health while the rest of the UK had its own rules.

Under the new deal the UK as a whole will realign with EU plant health rules, which will mean the ban can be dropped.

Robin Mercer, from Hillmount Garden Centre in County Down, said the deal was "long overdue" as the current arrangements had driven up costs.

"In the past before Brexit we were bringing in trolley loads of roses every week, now we're having to source them from different places and there isn't the same selection," he said.

"There's a lot of suppliers in England that won't work with us now because it's too much hassle, too much paperwork."

Getty Images The Rosa 'Eustacia Vye' flowers in summer -Rosa 'Eustacia Vye' flowers in summer. there are three and they are a delicate pink colour. Getty Images
A horticulture industry body says lifting trade barriers should "boost our range of plants and products and how quickly we can get them"

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) said the deal would help the industry across the UK, which has seen trade with European suppliers disrupted.

Neil Grant, chair of the HTA's retailer committee, said: "Garden centres and their customers have seen prices rise and choice reduced as a direct result the trade barriers we now have with European suppliers.

"We know of many retailers who report that inspection delays have led to damaged, unsalable stock, as well as staffing issues around ever-shifting delivery times, all of which add costs to garden centres across the UK.

"Lifting trade barriers should boost our range of plants and products and how quickly we can get them."

The deal should also mean GB retailers resume online sales of plants and seeds to Northern Ireland.

Customs declarations

However the changes will not be implemented anytime soon and for NI businesses and consumers will not remove all the barriers which went up in 2021.

Monday's deal is described as a "political declaration" which now has to be converted to a legally binding text.

That will take months to negotiate and it is unlikely it will move to implementation before next year.

In the meantime some requirements which the last government signed up to in 2023 Windsor Framework deal will continue to be implemented.

For example a new phase of "Not for EU" labelling on GB food products being sold in NI will go ahead in July.

That is despite the fact that labelling with ultimately be phased out as a result of the new deal.

Most commercial goods being sold from GB to NI will also continue to require customs declarations, even the products which as covered by Monday's deal.

A man with spikey brown hair sits on a sofa. He wears a navy suit and white shirt.
Stuart Anderson, from Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, said it was "hugely positive news on the face of it"

Stuart Anderson, director of public affairs at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, said he remained concerned about the customs burden for movement between GB and NI.

"The customs issues have been in play since the original deal was introduced," he said.

"There has been some movement on that though the Windsor Framework – some of it creating perhaps more challenges too with the introduction of parcel arrangements from May."

However he said the new deal was "hugely positive news" on the face of it.

He added that businesses in Northern Ireland had "carried a significant amount of the burden in getting us to today".

What's in the new UK/EU deal?

Getty Images A farmer wearing a red and black check shirt, yellow trousers and a grey gilet, pictured from the neck down as he loads three large green trays of vegetables into the rear of a vehicle boot. There are broccoli, green beans and red peppers.Getty Images
If a full agri-food deal follows, potentially later this year, that will reduce the need for checks and controls on products being sent from GB to Northern Ireland

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the wide-ranging agreement affecting food, fishing and security after hosting EU leaders at a summit in London.

It includes a new SPS agreement - which stands for sanitary and phytosanitary and refers to rules about animals and food.

The government said this would reduce red tape for businesses, simplify food exports and imports, and help cut lorry queues at borders.

The deal also includes a new security and defence partnership between the UK and EU, and new arrangements for passport checks.

British holidaymakers will soon be able to use more eGates in Europe, which the government said would "end the dreaded queues" at border control.

Sir Keir said the deal would be "good for jobs, good for bills and good for our borders".

However, critics accused the Labour government of betraying Brexit voters as the UK will have to follow EU agri-food rules without having a say in how those rules are made.

There are also concerns about a 12-year fishing deal granting the EU access to UK waters, which is included as part of the overall agreement.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the UK was "becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again".

But the Labour government said it was time to "reset" relations with the EU which is the UK's biggest market.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the UK's agricultural food exports were down by a fifth, and the new deal would reduce trade friction and costs.