Northern Ireland Protocol: Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) says EU plan to block 50% of veterinary medicines must be addressed 'now'

The organisation was speaking after Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir reported meeting Cabinet ministers about the EU grace period on enforcing regulations on veterinary medicines coming in from GB, which is to expire in December 2025.

After Brexit the EU retained Northern Ireland within the EU Single Market. As a result, the UK agreed that all goods coming into NI from GB should be subjected to full EU customs checks.

The EU requires every batch of freshly manufactured veterinary medicine bound for NI from GB to be specially tested to confirm it meets EU requirements.

This in turn has led pharmaceutical companies supplying NI from GB to warn that they could discontinue supplying up to 50% of all such medicines to NI.

But the UFU says the practical deadline has already probably passed to give pharmaceutical companies enough to continue supplying NI, as they plan some 15-16 months in advance, and we are now 16 months from the EU deadline.

On Thursday Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir met Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, minister for the Cabinet Office; Secretary of state Hilary Benn and Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) about the issue.

“There are a number of key EU exit milestones ahead - veterinary medicines, phase two labelling and deforestation regulations, to name but a few," Mr Muir said afterwards. "Whilst these are matters of concern ultimately for the UK government to lead on working with the European Union, as minister I will continue to play a constructive role advocating for relevant solutions.

“I acknowledge concerns arising as the end of the grace period on December 31, 2025 approaches and urged work to advance a Veterinary Medicines Agreement with the EU is progressed apace.”

UFU Parliamentary Officer Alexander Kearney told the News Letter: "We are worried. There's no doubt about that. But we have been worried for quite some time, despite the three years grace period. The pharmaceutical companies have said they are taking decisions now well beyond now the first of January 2026 and that discontinuation [of some medicines] is becoming ever more likely in their decision making process.

"So this is clearly not a Christmas 2025 problem. This is a problem right now in 2024.

"That's why the urgency is on us now to come up with a plan to deal with the products that are going to be discontinued, and also to ensure that farmers and companion animal owners do not have to adhere to extra cost in order to maintain animal welfare."

The EU grace period had been granted on condition that the UK government submitted plans to the EU on what they were doing to resolve the situation. However, Alexander said that the pharmaceutical companies are not privy to whatever has been submitted.

He said for complex regulatory reasons the issue cannot simply be resolved by having the medicines supplied via the Republic of Ireland.

A DUP Spokesperson said: “The need for a lasting solution to the supply of veterinary medicines remains and until that is secured there will continue to be a threat hanging over our agricultural industry. “The establishment of the veterinary medicine working group was a welcome step forward and we want to see further progress. “In any event the Government must ensure that the supply of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland continues even if that means them taking unilateral action.”