Optimism after draft includes scrapping red tape
BBCThere is optimism among food exporters in south-west England after the UK and EU agreed a draft deal this week that could remove post-Brexit checks from food and agriculture exports.
The draft includes removing the need for £200 export health certificates along with inspections and monthly water purification tests.
If finalised at the EU summit later this month, it could see an end to expensive export certificates and paperwork and also bring back pet passports.
Nikki Holmyard, owner of the Offshore Shellfish, in Brixham, said: "We're not out of the woods yet but at least we'll be on the right side of things once the agreement is done we'll know that it's our government to nag."
She said: "It's taken a lot of effort to get there we've been pushing very hard for this deal."
"There was never any certainty til we got the announcement last week - we're very pleased, " she added.
Other exporters in the region also hoping for the end to costly paperwork include Westaway sausages in Newton Abbot.
Charles Baughan, its managing director and chair of Taste of the West, said: "Look I think it is good for lots of small and medium sized businesses like us at Westaways but as always the devil is in the detail.
"We are at a stage now where there is the EU-UK summit on 20 November and that will introduce a period of 'dynamic alignment' which will take about a year and we can maybe expect implementation sometime in January 2028 and that's quite a long time away.
"Is trade really going to be free and frictionless, it it going to be risk free? Business thrives on certainty it doesn't like uncertainty"
'A bit of a headache'
For pet owners, the changes could also mean the return of pet passports that were scrapped following Brexit and replaced with single-use certificates.
Luke Stevens, a vet and co-owner of Mounts Bay Veterinary Centre, in Long Rock, said: "I can't pretend - animal health certificates have been a bit of a headache for us over the years.
"Five years and it's fantastic news if we get the permission to issue pet passports again.
"One booklet that will last for an animals life, multiple holidays, however many times a year and just the one issuing from a vet.
"We'd much rather be looking after and getting better the sick animals on our client base.
"The animal health certificates have taken a disproportionate amount of time - they're not simple pieces of paperwork they're 10 - 14 pages long, can only be used for one trip and we have to get them right so the owners don't get stopped at the borders."
'Strengthen our economy'
The Conservative Party and Reform UK oppose dynamic alignment arguing that Britain should set its own regulations or risk losing competitive advantage.
The Lib Dems said it was a patch not a fix and have called for the UK to rejoin the single market.
A government spokesperson said: "We are building an ambitious, close relationship with the EU that will strengthen our economy, protect British industry, and create more opportunities for young people across the UK.
"A food and drink deal could deliver up to £5.1bn a year for the UK economy, slashing the costly red tape that only helps drive up supermarket prices and stifle trade."