Defra announced yesterday (Monday 12 July) that traders moving agri-food from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will benefit from increased Government support until the end of 2023.
The Movement Assistance Scheme helps traders by covering certain certification costs incurred when moving agri-food products.
Since it was launched in December 2020, the scheme has helped more than 140 businesses, with the cost of more than 11,400 certificates and 1,300 inspection hours covered. The announcement of further support today demonstrates the efforts the Government has made to operationalise the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Alongside the extension to the end of December 2023, the scheme will also be expanded to cover costs related to:
- scrapies testing for sheep exports
- sample testing and certification required for individual seed lots
- the Plant Health Exports Audited Trader Scheme (PHEATS) (from 1 August)
- exporters in Great Britain who move organics solely to Northern Ireland, and Northern Irish importers who face new costs to receive these goods from Great Britain (from 1 August)
Farming, Fisheries and Food Minister Victoria Prentis said
“The Movement Assistance Scheme provides essential support to agri-food traders moving goods under the Protocol.
Extending and expanding the scheme means that we can offer further help to businesses affected by new rules, and it demonstrates the efforts the Government has made to operationalise the Protocol.
Despite this extra support, we know that the Protocol is causing disruption for many businesses. That is why we are working with the EU to try and resolve the issues. If solutions cannot be found, we will consider all options available to us. We will present our approach to Parliament before the summer recess.”
Source: gov.uk