Button wrote:What obligates us to impose 'reciprocal SPS checks'?
I did read that the timetable is:
Phase 1 – 1 July: high-risk animal-by products, all regulated plants and plant products, all meats and meat products, high-risk foods not of animal origin
Phase 2 – 1 September: dairy products
Phase 3 – 1 November: all other regulated products of animal origin including composite and fish products.
The biometric immigration checks are, of course, checks on people seeking to enter the EU.
Under WTO rules we are obliged not to differentiate between countries with which have no specific trade deals regarding such goods. Our 'oven ready' deal (in reality, pretty much an abject concession to the EU in all areas, save some manufacturing) gives the UK no specific agreements in SPS related areas. Hence the fuss over sausages entering N.Ireland. It therefore follows that, if we fail to impose such checks on EU goods, we are seen to continue to favour them compared with other countries trading under WTO restrictions. Not rocket science really.
And yes, of course, biometric checks have long been on the horizon for non-EU people seeking to enter the EU. It's just that the implementation time is looming nearer.
