Fay Jones MP has welcomed the extension of the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC), and decision by Liz Truss MP, International Trade Secretary to place it on a full statutory footing, giving farmers a stronger voice in UK trade policy.
The Commission was initially launched for a six-month period in July to bring together voices from across the sector and report back to inform top-level trade policy and negotiations. Since then it has heard from dozens of experts on farming, animal welfare, the environment and trade, called for evidence from hundreds of key voices across the industry, as well as engaging local farmers, producers, businesses and MPs across the UK through a series of virtual regional roadshows.
Now, as Britain prepares to put into statute the trade deal struck with Japan and moves closer to becoming a fully-fledged trading nation, the UK Government has decided to extend the Commission past its previous fixed term and give it a more active role through a new legislative underpinning, to be reviewed every three years. It will produce a report on the impact on animal welfare and agriculture of each free trade deal the UK Government signs after the end of the EU transition period on January 1. This report will be laid in Parliament before the start of the 21-day scrutiny period under the terms of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.
The Commission is publishing an interim report shortly. The full report will be published in February 2021 and presented to Parliament. The move – part of the government’s ambition to place farmers at the heart of its trade policy – will allow Parliamentarians access to independent and expert advice when reviewing the impact of each trade deal on farming.
The Commission will continue to report to Truss and will continue with the report it is currently producing, which will advise on:
- Trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, to ensure that animal welfare, food production and environmental standards are not undermined and to identify new export opportunities.
- Advancing and protecting British consumer interests and those of developing countries.
- How the UK engages the WTO to build a coalition that helps advance higher animal welfare standards across the world.
- Developing trade policy that identifies and opens up new export opportunities for the UK agricultural industry – in particular for SMEs.
The UK Government has been consistently clear that in all trade negotiations, the UK will not compromise on its high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.
During trade negotiations, the Department for International Trade consults widely with its agri-food Trade Advisory Group, comprised of farmers and other senior figures from across the industry. The UK Government also has a suite of tools – including tariffs, tariff quotas and safeguards – to ensure that British farmers with their high standards are not unfairly undercut in any trade deal.
On Friday, the UK Government tabled an amendment to the Agriculture Bill, to bolster parliamentary scrutiny of free trade agreements. It will place a duty on the UK Government to report to Parliament on whether, or to what extent, commitments in new Free Trade Agreements relating to agricultural goods are consistent with maintaining UK levels of statutory protection in relation to human, animal and plant life and health; animal welfare; and environmental protection. This report will be laid at the same time, or ahead of, any FTA laid before Parliament, demonstrating how we are meeting our commitments on standards.
Fay Jones MP said:
"I really welcome that the UK Government is putting our manifesto commitment into law and strengthening the role of the Trade and Agriculture Commission.
"As part of an amendment to the Agriculture Bill, the Commission will now be extended for a further three years. It will also be given a statutory duty to report to Parliament on each trade deal. This is a hugely important step which means that Parliament will have to consider the informed opinion of the Commission before any vote. Senior members of the farming community sit on the Commission and will ensure that every deal benefits UK agriculture.
"Following a number of discussions with the NFU, I worked with the Secretary of State for International Trade to press for this change and I am so grateful to Liz Truss for agreeing to this important step, which has been warmly welcomed by the farming unions today."