Joint summary of discussions of the second Joint Management Committee for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS JMC) established by the Trade Continuity Agreement (TCA) between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK)
May 17, 2023 Ottawa and London (by videoconference)
Overview of discussion
The annual meeting of the Canada-United Kingdom (UK) TCA SPS JMC was held by video conference on May 17, 2023.
Both Parties began by approving the agenda which can be found in Annex 1. Canada and the UK provided welcoming remarks, with both Parties acknowledging the Committee as an effective mechanism to discuss SPS matters and facilitate the resolution of bilateral issues.
During the information sharing part of the meeting, the UK provided information on its Border Target Operating Model for imported commodities. Canada provided information on its consultation regarding its fruit tree and grape vine import programs.
Canada and the UK discussed progress made on outstanding animal health and food safety bilateral issues, and confirmed next steps to advance this work. Specifically:
- Regionalization for zoning of animal disease outbreaks;
- Ruminant genetics exports from the UK to Canada, and;
- Simplified export health certificates.
The following issues were raised by Canada during the meeting as new issues of interest:
- Disease controls and oversight for certification for wild aquatic animals exported from the UK to Canada.
- UK approval process for peroxyacetic acid
- UK’s position on growth enhancing products
- Trichinella testing requirements on fresh chilled pork
- Equivalence of animal health measures on meat products
Both Parties agreed to prioritize issues and include them in a work plan for 2023-2024. The work plan would allow both parties to track progress either by exchange of information or ad hoc technical working groups.
Next steps
- Canada and the UK to prepare a report of the meeting and develop a work plan.
- Canada and the UK to continue work towards establishing an arrangement to recognize regionalization for zoning of animal disease outbreaks.
- Canada and the UK to continue work on exports of ruminant genetics from the UK to Canada and establish a technical working group.
- Canada and UK to discuss the UK’s disease controls for wild aquatic animal for a re-negotiation of the certificate.
- Canada and the UK to convene a working group to engage in technical discussions and reviewing attestations on priority certificates.
- Canada and the UK to set up a Trichinella working group to discuss the potential for mutual recognition and elimination of Trichinella related requirements.
- Canada and the UK agreed to hold a mid-year JMC SPS Committee meeting.
Annex 1
Agenda Canada-UK Joint Management Committee SPS
May 17, 2023 (9:00-12:00 Ottawa time and 14:00-17:00 London time)
| TIME | No. | AGENDA ITEM | PROPONENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | 1. | Welcome and Introduction - Opening remarks by the Canadian Co-chair - Opening remarks by the UK Co-chair | |
| 9:15 | 2. | Approval of the Agenda | |
| 9:20 | 3. | Information sharing 1) UK update and information on the Target Operating Model 2) Proposed Updates to Canada’s fruit tree and grape vine import programs | UK CAN |
| 9:50 | 4. | Bilateral Issues Animal Health 1) Regionalisation for zoning of animal outbreaks 2) Ruminant genetics UK exports 3) Disease controls for wild aquatic animals and oversight for certification (New) | CAN/UK UK/CAN CAN |
| 10:15 | Health Break | ||
| 10:30 | 5. | Bilateral Issues Food Safety 1) Simplified export health certificates 2) Peroxyacetic acid (PAA)(New) 3) Growth Enhancing Products requirements (New) 4) Trichinella testing requirements (New) 5) Equivalence of animal health measures on meat products (New) | CAN |
| 11:30 | 6. | Summary of discussion, action items and report for Joint Committee | CAN/UK |
| 11:45 | 7. | Closing remarks and Adjournment | CAN/UK |
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