11 Apr 2023
The BVA president says new plans recognise the role of border controls in protecting biosecurity, but ministers must ensure the measures work for all sectors.
Allister Webb
Job Title
The BVA has given a cautious welcome to draft Government proposals on future border controls for imports.
Ministers claim the measures within the Border Target Operating Model will better protect UK public health and biosecurity by creating stronger barriers to prevent products that potentially pose a threat from getting in.
But the association’s president Malcolm Morley said it was “vital” the Government maintains dialogue with the sector as the proposals move forward.
Dr Morley said: “Vets have a unique role in ensuring the highest food and animal welfare standards are being met for products imported to the UK.
“The BVA looks forward to working with the Government on the finer detail to ensure it delivers for everyone.”
The protocol is intended to provide uniform security arrangements for international imports, whether from inside or outside the European Union.
Final proposals are expected to be published in the coming weeks, with the new arrangements being rolled out by the autumn of 2024.
The development of the protocol comes amid increased professional concern about the UK’s capacity to withstand disease threats from overseas, such as Brucella canis and African swine fever, amid the continuing battle against avian influenza.
The model document outlines one example where frozen, raw and uncooked meat products were imported from Europe, and fully pre-notified on UK imports systems, despite them being clearly marked as only suitable for sale in the country where they originated.
It went on: “Although the products didn’t test positive for African swine fever on this occasion the very fact that these products reached the UK presents a serious and immediate threat to the UK pig industry.
“These goods would not have made it to the UK if sanitary and phytosanitary controls had been in place because they would not have been certified for export by a veterinarian in the originating country.”
Dr Morley added: “While we need to scrutinise the detail, in principle it is an acknowledgement of the vital role border controls play in protecting public health and UK biosecurity, rather than seeing controls as simply a barrier to trade that needs to be overcome.
“By having robust systems in place, the UK can minimise its exposure to diseases like foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever, which could have a devastating impact on the UK’s domestic animal population, and in turn our farming and agrifoods industries.”
