‘Not for EU’ food labelling requirement to be rolled out across UK

Since last October, meat and dairy goods going to Northern Ireland from Great Britain have needed “not for EU” labels as part of the Windsor Framework of post-Brexit trade rules.

The UK Government has proposed a roll out of ‘not for EU’ labelling on food and drink products across the whole of the UK from October 2024. However, the Scottish Government have issued concerns with this proposal (see below).

The labels are meant to stop produce from crossing into EU regions, such as the Republic of Ireland, from Northern Ireland.

It's all connected to the red tape that has emerged due to Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol.

Due to differing food regulations between Great Britain and the EU, authorities had to think of a way to ensure the passage of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. They had to do this without jeopardising the unique customs setup between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

In 2025, the UK Government will then roll out the third phase, which will require the "Not for EU" logo for composite products, fruit, vegetables, and fish moving to Northern Ireland, as well as products in England, Scotland, and Wales.

The government has said it will provide financial support to help businesses with the labelling change.

In May 2023, then Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, "Philosophically Northern Ireland is part of the UK so it seems to me logical that something we are asking Northern Ireland to do we should ask the UK to do,"

"I'm very comfortable with having a UK-wide regime."

The Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon opposes this proposal for Scotland. In a letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Barclay, Ms Gougeon said:

“As labelling is a wholly devolved matter, the policy decision on whether to place this additional burden on Scottish businesses should rest with the Scottish Ministers.

“I do not support this GB-wide labelling proposal as it stands, and I am not persuaded on the information provided so far that there is a case to introduce it in Scotland.”

You can read more information about these proposals here.