UK Seeks Permanent EU Food Deal to Lower Grocery Prices

The UK government is pursuing a permanent food and drink trade deal with the European Union aimed at reducing grocery costs for British shoppers by removing border checks and fees on products such as artisan cheeses, sausages, olives, and burgers. This arrangement would eliminate export checks to the EU while granting EU fishing vessels access to British waters until 2038, with government sources highlighting that most British exporters already comply with EU standards to maintain market access. EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has defended the deal as a necessary step for economic growth and lower food prices, describing it as "sovereignty, exercised in the national interest." However, critics including Priti Patel and Nigel Farage argue that the deal risks compromising UK sovereignty by giving Brussels veto power over Britain's animal welfare and food safety rules, with concerns that it would make the UK a rule taker rather than a rule maker. Government supporters counter that the agreement would make it easier for retailers to import high-quality products and help British exporters, such as Scottish salmon producers, access EU markets more effectively. Talks are expected to continue with the goal of finalizing a permanent deal within the next 18 months, building on a temporary arrangement currently in place until January 2027.