We received 353 responses to this consultation. We are carrying out an analysis of the results.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on May 19 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, by way of an EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (SPS Agreement). This will involve alignment with EU SPS legislation, including EU animal health legislation.

The government published the legislation expected to be in scope of the agreement on 9 March.

As negotiations remain ongoing, we are awaiting the conclusion of this work to allow us to fully understand how the mandatory pathway proposals may be best aligned. Therefore, we are delaying the publication of the summary of responses and government response and intend to publish this in late 2026.