According to NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett, there is still a huge legislative challenge facing the UK government following Brexit and the need for Defra to look into the horticulture supply chain. Under the Retained EU Law Bill, the government has the ambition to review all the EU legislation that was effectively ‘cut and pasted’ into UK law when we finally left the EU.
Emmett: ”It may not be a surprise to those of us working in the agriculture and horticulture sector, but Defra has the largest list of legislation to review – more than 1,500 pieces. I know we all feel that regulatory burden on a daily basis.”
“Whether this ambition can actually be realized is yet to be seen, but while it remains a priority for the government, the NFU is seeking to identify the opportunities it presents, particularly in removing or amending legislation that creates barriers for business without any tangible commercial or environmental gain. I suspect big changes will be difficult to achieve, such as the long overdue need to amend crop protection legislation to be risk rather than hazard-based.”
Source: nfuonline.com