The House of Lords has launched a new inquiry into the implications of Brexit on UK agriculture.
The first evidence session, by the EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, will take place on Wednesday 25 January when the Committee will take evidence from leading academics.
Membership of the EU has allowed the UK to trade freely in agricultural goods and foods with Member States and has determined the UK’s external trading relations with the rest of the world.
European Union legislation has also governed UK policy on agricultural production, animal welfare, food safety, product standards, environmental protection, funding and rural development.
This inquiry seeks to highlight the challenges the Government will face when disentangling UK farming from the EU and the opportunities that arise for agriculture and food after withdrawal.
The Committee will take evidence from key industry representatives, academic experts and Government officials in order to identify priorities for a post-Brexit relationship with the EU that will benefit UK farmers.
Key issues the Committee will explore include: The opportunities and challenges arising from Brexit for UK farmers; How the future trading relationship with the EU will affect future agricultural policy; the implications of Brexit on the regulatory regime underpinning agriculture and the trade in agricultural products; what effect WTO rules will have on policy decisions on funding for farmers and the environment and whether Brexit will impact the supply of affordable and good-quality food in the UK
In the first session, the Committee will explore with the witnesses critical policy decisions the Government must consider before the UK leaves the EU to protect UK farmers, as well how the future trading relationship with the EU will affect the UK’s agricultural policy, and how the provision of public goods could be promoted after Brexit.
