The United Kingdom and the European Union have reached a preliminary agreement to remove controls and bureaucratic procedures for exports of food and agricultural products, imposed after Brexit.
According to the BBC, the 200-page draft agreement has been sent to EU member states in Brussels for review, ahead of a summit between the two sides expected to be held this month.
The agreement provides for trade facilitation for products such as meat, sausages, seafood and potatoes for planting, avoiding a significant part of the controls and certificates that have so far increased costs for exporters.
Among the main changes is the removal of export health certificates, which cost around £200, and phytosanitary certificates, which cost £25. It also envisages the reintroduction of passports for British pets travelling to EU countries.
The British government estimates that the agreement could bring benefits to the country's economy of 5.1 billion pounds a year. In return, Britain will have to adapt its rules to the European Union's standards for trade in food, agricultural and livestock products.
The draft agreement is expected to be discussed by EU ambassadors, with further details to be agreed before a summit later this month. However, the proposal has also drawn criticism from some British politicians who oppose a return to European rules, seeing it as a restriction on the country's trade sovereignty.
