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Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, trade between the two blocks has become more restricted due to different quality standards ruled by trade deals that no longer stand or have been renegotiated.

 

One such change since Brexit that is worrying some expats who live in Spain is the rise of labels on UK food products that state they are ‘Not for EU’.

 

This ‘Not for EU’ label on food packaging forbids certain items from being sold within the European Union, and as such there are some British comfort foods that may be unavailable in specialist import stores in Spain, which serve the more than 400,000 UK nationals resident in Spain.

 

These ‘Not for EU’ labels form part of the Windsor Framework, which is the colloquial name given to the agreements between the UK and the EU to facilitate the freer movement of ‘retail goods’ from England, Scotland and Wales to Northern Ireland whilst preserving the unique customs setup between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The solution was to create ‘Not for EU’ labelling on UK food products to show that they cannot be sold in the EU due to rules on biosecurity and goods standards.

 

UK food products with the ‘Not for EU’ label are not of a lower standard and it does not necessarily mean that they fail to meet EU regulations. But they still cannot be legally sold in the EU.

 

This labelling was introduced for meat and some dairy products in Northern Ireland in August 2023, including red meat, pre-packed meat products such as chilled scotch eggs, frozen mince or dried beef jerky, among others.

 

The UK government will expand the labelling to all milk and dairy products sold in Scotland, England and Wales by October 1, 2024. In 2025, the ‘Not for EU’ label will also be stamped on fruit, vegetables and fish from England, Scotland, and Wales that are transported to Northern Ireland.

 

The initial aim of the Windsor Framework was to protect Northern Ireland’s access to food produced in Great Britain via a green lane while respecting the freedom of movement across the border with the Republic of Ireland. However, one unforeseen outcome relates to UK citizens abroad being able to buy certain goods whilst in other areas of the European Union.

 

Some retailers in Spain who specialise in stocking UK goodies such as Pork Pies, Scotch Eggs, Iceland Pastries and Richmond’s Sausages are already experiencing this.

 

The Food Co. in Puerto de Mazarrón, Murcia, is one such trader which is now unable to sell some of their customers’ favourite treats. The company say they are “looking at solutions for this in the upcoming weeks and will rectify where possible”.

 

 

Image 1: Archive

Image 2: The Food Co. Puerto de Mazarrón