James Wild MP has challenged the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs on when the government's promised sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement will be implemented to support the fishing fleets in King's Lynn, Brancaster, and around the Norfolk coast.
Speaking in the House of Commons, James pressed Dame Angela Eagle on the timeline for delivering the deal which the government announced alongside the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, claiming this agreement would slash red tape for UK seafood exporters and businesses. James will continue to work closely with the industry to ensure the new fund delivers where it matters most for local fishing businesses and coastal communities in North West Norfolk.
The government announced in May 2025 that it had secured a new SPS agreement with the EU to remove routine border checks and cut regulatory barriers. Since Brexit, the EU has imposed extensive paperwork on UK fishing businesses creating delays in exporting seafood.
Months after the government's announcement, the deal remains unimplemented and fishermen continue to face the same unnecessary checks.
Speaking in the House of Commons, James Wild MP said:
"When the fishing and coastal growth fund was announced, the Government said that they had also secured a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to slash red tape for UK seafood exporters and businesses. Can the Minister tell the fishing fleet in King's Lynn, Brancaster and around the Norfolk coast when that deal will actually be implemented?"
In response, Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, said:
"We are awaiting the EU mandate, which the Commission tells us will be available by the end of November. We are very anxious to then get on to doing the SPS deal as quickly as possible, so that we can tear away all the red tape caused by Brexit. That has caused so much damage and made it so hard for the UK fishing industry to trade with our closest neighbour."
