“We share many of the concerns raised,” the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has stated in response to a new report from the House of Commons’ Welsh Affairs Committee (WAC) on the UK’s Free Trade Agreement with Australia.

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and Australia will be the first major trade deal negotiated by the UK government since Brexit. Following five years of negotiations, both countries published an Agreement in Principle (AIP) on 17th June 2021.

The Welsh Affairs Committee’s report outlines some initial conclusions, concerns and recommendations, as the UK government finalises the Australian trade deal and pursues future trade deals with countries such as New Zealand and members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Key recommendations from the report include:

• clarification on agricultural safeguards to be applied in years 10–15 after the agreement comes into force
• a plan to work with the Welsh government to improve the productivity and sustainability of the farming and food sector
• a commitment to respond to and publish the Trade and Agriculture Commission’s (TAC) report into the trade deal
• among other comments on the TAC, the inclusion of at least one member who understands and has direct experience of the agricultural and regulatory landscape of Wales.

The committee’s report added that they are “alert to the concerns of Welsh farmers that the gradual removal of tariffs on Australian beef and lamb potentially poses a competitive threat.” However, the removal of these tariffs, the report said, is “unlikely to manifest in the short term.”

“We share the WAC’s concerns”

CIEH has previously called for the UK government to commit to upholding and enhancing the UK’s food and animal welfare standards as part of any new trade deal.

Kate Thompson, CIEH Wales director, welcomed the findings and recommendations of the WAC, although she further stated that the CIEH was also concerned about the lack of response by the government to the March 2021 report by the TAC.

She said: “Whilst we welcome the establishment of a new, statutory TAC to ensure future trade deals do not undermine UK standards on food, animal welfare and the environment, we are concerned it will not be in place before the Australia trade deal is done.”

Thompson added that the TAC should be given early opportunities to scrutinise trade deals in the future.