FPC blasts UK border regulations as "world-class embarrassment"

The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has condemned the Government's continuing failure to provide real answers to real questions—questions that affect the very future of the UK's horticultural industry.

While Westminster fixates on the theoretical potential of border resets and long-term trade strategies, thousands of British businesses, particularly family-owned wholesalers, face constant and ongoing operational and financial pressures, with no clear answers or detailed solutions in sight.

The reality on the ground is clear: businesses are hemorrhaging time, money, and trust. The BTOM border system is broken, and those who built it don't seem to care.

A hard-won reprieve for fruit & veg
After relentless lobbying, direct government engagement, and sector-wide collaboration, FPC secured a targeted exemption from full SPS checks on medium-risk EU fruit and vegetable imports until 31 January 2027.

This means that over 700,000 annual shipments of fruits and vegetables have been spared from excessive border checks. As a result, the industry has saved over £200 million, and UK consumers have avoided another spike in food prices.

"This wasn't a government favor. It was a victory wrestled from the jaws of border chaos, saving over £200 million in potential costs, protecting more than 700,000 annual consignments, and safeguarding affordable produce for businesses and consumers already squeezed by inflation," said the FPC in a statement.

Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive of FPC, said: "We didn't wait for a strategy paper. We delivered a solution. This exemption gives the industry breathing space—but it's just that: breathing space. The real work isn't yet done. An industry-backed EU reset solution is imperative, but it cannot impose additional official controls on non-EU imports to the UK simply to ease EU border chaos."

Cut flowers and plants: Ignored and undermined
These sectors—already struggling under the weight of inspection fees, port delays, and deteriorating EU trade relationships—have been left to rot, with no relief in sight.

While fruit and veg have been granted sensible relief, the cut flower and plant sectors remain locked in an unworkable border regime implemented by our own Government, whilst imposing excessive official fees, chronic delays, and impossible logistics.

Several European suppliers have already walked away from UK trade, citing spiraling costs and opaque systems.

"This is not a theoretical problem. This is a loss of jobs, supply, and confidence—today."

Despite this, the Government has yet to offer any meaningful support or explain why fast, proven industry-funded border solutions are being deliberately starved of official inspectors to conduct mandatory border checks, whilst AOS has been abandoned without discussion or a credible reason.

AOS: A lifeline withdrawn, a sector abandoned
Now that the Government has publicly confirmed its abandonment of the Authorised Operator Status (AOS) model, the industry is left devastated, says the FPC.

What was once a practical, cost-effective solution—developed in close collaboration with trusted businesses—has been scrapped without adequate explanation and with no serious alternative in place.

This wasn't just a policy trial. It was a shared commitment. Businesses invested heavily, without grant support, to build the infrastructure and systems the Government asked for.

"The decision has catastrophic implications for the handling of perishable goods from EU and non-EU countries, which contribute significantly to the nation's food security and flower supply. The current border model is entirely unsuited to the speed and care these products demand."

Without AOS, we are forcing sensitive, time-critical shipments into a rigid, poorly performing, and hugely expensive Government-managed inspection monopoly.

"To pilot a scheme with industry, only to abandon it after successful trials and then declare it closed with no viable alternative—this is nothing short of betrayal," said Jenney. "This isn't just disruptive. It's devastating. And the damage will be swift and far-reaching."

This means that over 700,000 annual shipments of fruits and vegetables have been spared from excessive border checks. As a result, the industry has saved over £200 million, and UK consumers have avoided another spike in food prices.

"There is capacity. There is demand. There is an urgent need! But what's missing, critically, is political will."

"AOS was not just viable—it was essential. Especially for our sector in terms of managing both EU and non-EU trade. The Government claims to champion small businesses and growth. Instead, they've ignored a proven solution and failed to offer any short-term alternative," says the FPC.

Resource mismanagement
DEFRA has tripled its border inspection headcount, with resources scaled up for fresh produce, which no longer requires checks. Yet those same inspectors are not being redeployed to support cut flower and plant imports, even though infrastructure exists and the need is urgent.

"It's not a matter of capacity. It's a matter of Government will," said Jenney.

© Fresh Produce Consortium

The FPC has repeatedly urged the Government to take several actions, including deploying out-of-hours inspection teams at strategic Control Points, immediately reallocating underutilized resources to Kent Control Points and other key flower import locations, and reinstating or replacing AOS with a functioning, funded alternative, but have been met with what they call a vague nod to 'ongoing discussions with no delivery timetable'.

"The Government insists it's protecting biosecurity. But official data shows that cut flowers from Europe have had a 99.5% compliance rate over the past six months. The sector is policing itself. It's working. So why the need for this draconian approach?"

"This isn't effective balanced border policy—it's intransigence not supported by their own data," said Jenney. "You're penalizing an entire industry because of a misplaced fixation on process over practicality."

"The Government must stop talking about what might work in years to come and start fixing what's broken today," Jenney stated.

"What was promised to be a world-leading border has become a world-class failure. It's now one of the most expensive and inefficient systems anywhere—crippling trade, suffocating businesses, and inflating costs that hard-pressed consumers are left to absorb."

"This is not an accident. It is a self-inflicted crisis, born of political choices and a refusal to listen.

"The consequences are real, immediate, and entirely avoidable."