The British government has published a number of new memos for civilians and companies regarding the possible consequences of a no deal Brexit, the scenario in which no deal will be reached. For an overview and links to all no deal recommendations by the British government, please use the link at the end of this article.
In a no deal scenario, the UK will implement their own national regulations regarding pesticides. Through the so-called Withdrawal Act, the government will stick to the EU regulations about Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and the marketing of pesticides. In the long term, the British regulations could become different from EU regulations. Nevertheless, the government intends to keep the technical requirements and the health and environmental standards in line with those that currently exist in the EU.
On 29 March 2019, all current approvals of active substances, MRLs and authorisations of pesticides will continue to be valid in the UK. Approvals of active substances that would expire within the first three years after Brexit, will be extended by three more years. This way, there will be more time to implement a new national programme to renew approvals. Applications under consideration at the time of Brexit will be finished up under the national regulations. After Brexit, the form of the application and the required data will remain the same.
In a no deal scenario, agreements about mutual recognition of product approvals and permits for parallel trade will not continue to function. The British government wants permits for parallel trade in effect for a transitional period of two years on the day of Brexit to continue to be in effect after that, or until the permit’s expiry date, if this should be sooner. After the permit has expired, companies will have to acquire access to market and use a product in the UK. The government will also implement a three year-transitional period after Brexit for seed treated with a pesticide that has been approved for use in other EU countries.
Source: Agroberichten buitenland