Vets Question Animal Welfare Safeguards In Light Of Australia Trade Deal
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has questioned how the Government will protect the UK’s high animal health and welfare standards, following the announcement of the UK-Australia trade deal.
Although the trade deal includes a cap on tariff-free imports for 15 years, the announcement paves the way for tariff-free imports from 2036 with no guarantee that Australia will need to meet UK animal welfare standards.
Commenting, BVA President James Russell said:
“BVA has always argued that removing trade barriers must go hand in hand with protecting the UK’s reputation for high animal welfare standards.
“While the phasing in of tariff-free access gives British agriculture time to adjust, there appears to be no mechanism to ensure Australia must use that time to meet an appropriate level of animal welfare standards in order to secure tariff-free access to the UK market.
“With these key questions remaining, we’re calling on the Government to spell out exactly how it will safeguard animal welfare standards as the UK steps out onto the global trading stage.”
More from BVA
- British Veterinary Association responds to Government’s new food labelling proposals
- British Veterinary Association responds to Competition and Markets Authority’s review of the veterinary sector
- New legislation regulating primate pets is ‘a step in the right direction’
- #TimeForChange: BVA launches ‘Return to work’ toolkit to help tackle workforce issues
- New President elected for BVA Northern Ireland Branch and North of Ireland Veterinary Association