Regulated products application guidance

Important information about the market authorisation process following the UK’s announcement on the UK-EU SPS Agreement

The UK Government is negotiating a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the European Union (EU) following the commitment made at the UK-EU Summit in May 2025. This Agreement would create a common UK-EU SPS Zone. 

Businesses in the food and farming sectors and those associated with it, such as retailers and processors, may need to make some changes to follow EU rules, even if they only produce and sell within Great Britain (GB). 

While negotiations remain ongoing, all UK businesses large and small who grow, supply, process or transport agri-goods are encouraged to begin preparing for the changes ahead. You can read Defra’s information for businesses and sector specific guidance for further details.

Subject to any exceptions negotiated, a UK-EU SPS Agreement based on dynamic alignment would mean:

Due to the anticipated timeframe, a substantial number of applications in the GB Market Authorisation Service are unlikely to reach the point of ministerial decision before the Agreement is in place

Exceptions to the dynamic alignment model may be negotiated in a limited number of areas, but these are subject to negotiations – further updates will be provided.