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Ed's EFRA evidence - the full transcript

19th Dec 2017 / By Alistair Driver

The full transcript is now available from NPA senior policy advisor Ed Barker's appearance in front of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. 

Ed EFRAEd appeared alongside Tulip's Andrew Saunders and representatves from the poultry industry at the end of November to outline the pig industry's priorities as part of the committee's inquiries into the implications of Brexit for trade in agricultural goods. 

The transcript can be viewed here (the pig and poultry session starts half way down, Q328). 

During the session, Ed covered the issue of imports of pork produced to lower standards. He said: "If we revert to WTO rules, we want to be clear about one thing. At the moment, we are protected under a number of non-tariff barriers through the European Union.

"As an industry, we really need to know what assessment Government, be that DIT or Defra, have made of those non-tariff barriers from the European Union. What would we like to keep and what do we think we could still maintain as nontariff barriers? Those are two very different things.

"You may want to say, 'We want to not import pig products that come from sow stalls', but you may find it very difficult to do so. Having absolute clarity from either DIT or Defra, to know what they would like to keep and what they think is feasible, is absolutely vital."