3 Nov 2026

A draft agreement between the UK and the EU aimis to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and post-Brexit checks on food and agricultural exports. The proposed deal has been described by officials as the most significant development in the UK's efforts to reset relations with the EU since Brexit. The draft agreement comes ahead of a UK-EU summit scheduled to take place in Brussels on November 20, 2026.

A 200-page draft of the proposed sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement has reportedly been circulated among EU member states in Brussels ahead of a discussion held on November 4, 2026. A 15-page draft joint statement for UK and EU leaders has also been distributed, along with draft agreements emissions trading and a youth mobility and employment program.

The proposed SPS agreement is expected to remove several trade barriers and reduce costs for UK exporters. These include export health certificates costing £200 (approximately $270) and phytosanitary certificates costing about £25 (approximately $34), as well as inspection fees, organic certification cost, certain port charges, sampling fees, and other checks on UK and the EU trade.

The agreement would also pave the way for the resumption of UK exports to the EU of burgers, fresh sausages, seed potatoes, and shellfish harvested in British waters. In return, the UK is expected to commit to aligning its rules with existing and future EU legislation on animal health, food safety, and plant health. This arrangement, known as "dynamic alignment," would require the UK to keep relevant regulations in line with changes to EU rules.