A significant threat looms over the farming community in Northern Ireland, potentially resulting in the scrapping of millions of litres of milk, beyond the shadow of a doubt, if the UK and European Union do not reach a consensus regarding the provision of veterinary treatments.
According to the Windsor Framework agreement established between British authorities and the EU, UK’s legislative rules on veterinary medications prevail until the end of December 2025. However, the mandates of the bloc will supersede immediately afterwards. The agricultural sector raises the alarm over substantial losses if UK regulations are not allowed to continue and mentions that political discussions to address the crisis are yet uninitiated.
Lord Michael Jay, head of the House of Lords subcommittee on the Windsor Framework, warned that failing to negotiate a resolution would be utterly lamentable. He revealed that the discussions in Windsor largely overlooked the case of veterinary drugs and highlighted the considerable challenge and the limited time remaining to unravel this bureaucratically intricate matter.
He cautioned that starting January 1st, 2026, the adoption of EU rulings over those of the UK may “seriously curtail” the variety of veterinary medications available for Northern Irish farmers and may endanger the supply of certain products. After gathering testimonies from various corners of Northern Ireland, the House of Lords expressed grave apprehensions about potential public health risks if a middle ground is not agreed upon. The restrictions on importing the botulism vaccine were of particular concern.
About a third of Northern Ireland’s annual milk output of 2.5 billion litres travels south of the Border. However, the DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Stormont) must affirm that the milk complies with EU standards. This would be unachievable, should a consensus on veterinary medicines not be achieved. Denise Walsh, a representative from Lakeland Dairies, alerted the subcommittee that milk will have to be discarded and cattle slaughtered, unless DAERA veterinarians can validate the milk standards. She also warned of the grim possibility of farmers being forced to abandon their farms.
Brussels regulations mandate that the registered location of the ‘holder of the marketing authorisation’ should be in the EU or Northern Ireland. Nonetheless, a significant 85 per cent of veterinary product registrations used in Northern Ireland hold a British address, implying that their legality will cease from 1st January, 2026.
Moreover, the Ulster Farmers’ Union has expressed concerns that cross-Ireland animal health could be immediately impacted, warning that if a comprehensive range of veterinary drugs is not accessible, the food supply chain across Ireland could collapse.
Lord Jay stressed on the essence of safeguarding our current supply channels and engaging in negotiations with the EU to maintain current practices, as failure to do so would hit the farmers the hardest. With just 20 months left to strike a deal, the signing off of agreement will be primarily in the hands of politicians and will likely be prolonged due to the forthcoming British elections, the European Parliament races and the formation of a new European Commission.
As per Lord Jay, the issue’s delay is ambiguous but the political involvement appears critical to its finalisation. However, he cautions that if preference is given to European over UK regulation in the agreement, it could face setbacks as certain UK-based suppliers might deem the Northern Ireland market as not worth complying with intricate regulations.
For uninterrupted continuation of current trade practices, including those with the Republic, Lord Jay insists that the maintenance of existing arrangements, in one way or the other, is the universal suggestion.