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Not for EU
Label on certain food products for Northern Ireland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The "Not for EU" label is a designation attached to the packaging of certain food products sold on the UK market. It was introduced in October 2023 as part of the Windsor Framework agreement due to difficulties arising from the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The label is to ensure that goods can freely enter Northern Ireland from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS),[1] but may not be further exported to the European Union (in practical terms, to the Republic of Ireland). The UK government later decided that the marking should be required in the rest of the UK from October 2024, but the decision was not implemented. The label is permitted in Great Britain but is not required.
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Meaning
The presence of the 'Not for EU' marking is a consequence of Brexit, specifically the Johnson resolution to the Brexit trilemma by keeping an open trade border on the island of Ireland. This label indicates that the product is not declared to conform to EU standards and thus may not legally be sold in the EU.[2]
Since Brexit, Northern Ireland remains a part of the EU single market for goods, due to the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework. This meant that goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are subject to EU regulations, because NI remains a part of the EU single market for goods.[3] The labelling is intended to ensure that goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain face minimal checks, provided that they do not end up in the EU. Republic of Ireland customers can take products home with the label for personal use, but cannot resell them.[4] This label may also be used on goods imported to the UK, whether from the EU or any other country.[2] (Goods manufactured in the United Kingdom – including Northern Ireland – continue to be exported to the EU provided that they meet EU standards.)
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Implementation and expansion
The "Not for EU" label was first announced in February 2023 after the UK government reached an agreement with the EU.[3] Although it was officially introduced in October 2023, the label was first spotted at Asda supermarkets in Northern Ireland as early as August 2023, one month before introduction.[5]
Implementation of the label to the rest of the UK was proposed in January 2024 which would be required for all meat products from October 2024. Consultation on the expansion followed in February 2024. On 30 September 2024, the government decided not to proceed with the UK-wide 'Not for EU' label requirement, the day before it would have been required.[6]
Phase 1 required that meat and certain dairy products under the NIRMS are labelled from 1 October 2023. This is followed by phase 2 from 1 October 2024 for all dairy products. From 1 July 2025, composite products which contain both products of plant and animal origin, have to be labelled, such as pizza.[7]
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Criticism
The requirement for 'not for EU' labelling has sparked criticism and caused confusion "as experts warn the new policy risks leaving Brits in the dark" and that some customers think the UK food standards have dropped since leaving the EU.[2]
The chief executive of Marks & Spencer, Stuart Machin, has declared the label to be "bureaucratic madness". He said that 1,000 additional products would be affected and 400 more would be subject to additional checks.[8] He also said that it is "completely unnecessary given the UK has some of the highest food standards in the world".[8]
See also
- UKCA marking – Declaration of conformity with British standards
- CE marking – European Declaration of conformity mark
- Brexit and the Irish border – Effect on Ireland's UK/EU border
- UK Internal Market – UK law relating to internal trade
Notes
References
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