Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds used a speech at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris on 12 February 2026 to outline the government’s push for a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, positioning it as a practical measure to strengthen food security and reduce trade friction across the Channel. The transcript was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. (gov.uk)
Her programme in Paris included meetings with French counterparts on farming, trade and biodiversity finance, underlining the government’s intent to move cooperation from statements to delivery. The speech linked this to a broader reset with European partners that prioritises resilient supply chains and shared standards. (gov.uk)
DEFRA’s account highlighted the depth of bilateral trade: France exports over €7 billion of agri‑food goods to the UK annually and the UK exports over €3 billion to France. Reynolds said a new agreement would speed movements such as more than €300 million of French cheese entering the UK and over €500 million of UK fish arriving in France, by removing routine checks and paperwork where risk allows. (gov.uk)
Reynolds also pointed to the deterioration in UK–EU agri‑food flows since 2020, noting that British farm exports to the EU have fallen by about a fifth. The argument made in Paris was that simplifying SPS formalities can restore the Channel corridor to its full potential without compromising protections for consumers, animals or plants. (gov.uk)
At the core of this agenda is what an SPS agreement actually does. Under the World Trade Organization’s SPS Agreement, countries may set measures to protect human, animal and plant health, but those measures must be science‑based, proportionate and not disguised restrictions on trade. International benchmarks from Codex Alimentarius, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the International Plant Protection Convention guide how rules are set and compared. (wto.org)
There are two well‑worn design options for bilateral SPS deals that reduce friction. One is the EU–Switzerland veterinary model, which removed systematic border veterinary checks on animals and products of animal origin by maintaining close alignment and operating a joint body to keep rules updated. Another is the EU–New Zealand approach, which recognises equivalence in control systems and cuts inspection frequency through targeted certification rather than eliminating checks entirely. (blv.admin.ch)
Reynolds framed the UK’s objective as compatible with high standards rather than a trade‑off against them. That position aligns with the EU’s Official Controls Regulation, which requires risk‑based enforcement by competent authorities across the agri‑food chain and provides audit powers for cross‑border assurance. Any UK–EU arrangement will have to dovetail with those controls to deliver predictable market access. (gov.uk)
The minister set the case for action within a wider security context, citing climate impacts on harvests, biosecurity threats that cross borders and the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine for supply stability. She linked the initiative to the government’s economic stance that proximity to the EU makes deeper cooperation commercially rational. (gov.uk)
For importers, retailers and logistics operators, the practical effect of a well‑designed SPS deal would be fewer consignments requiring export health certificates, fewer identity and physical checks at border control posts and simpler documentary pre‑notification for low‑risk goods. The precise scope will depend on whether the UK and EU adopt a close‑alignment model or an equivalence‑based framework that still lowers inspection intensity. (food.ec.europa.eu)
For primary producers, the policy choice carries different trade‑offs. Dynamic alignment would minimise frontier friction but constrain domestic rule‑making; an equivalence route would preserve more regulatory flexibility but leave more checks in place. Recent industry commentary has urged ministers to build in transitions and avoid abrupt changes that could raise input costs or restrict technologies on farm. (ft.com)
The Paris speech also tied trade facilitation to long‑term productivity, arguing that soil health, water management, biodiversity and lower emissions are preconditions for stable output. UK–France cooperation on biodiversity credits and ocean priorities was flagged as part of this security‑through‑sustainability approach. (gov.uk)
Next steps are framed in measured terms. Reynolds said the government will work with Brussels to finalise an SPS agreement in the months ahead, with the intention of delivering faster, cheaper and more reliable movements for legitimate trade while maintaining rigorous protections. For supply‑chain leaders, the planning task is to map which product lines currently trigger certification and checks, and to model outcomes under a Swiss‑style alignment or a New Zealand‑style equivalence landing zone so that procurement and logistics can be adjusted as detail emerges. (gov.uk)