Green Shoots in UK-EU Trade Relations?

Ornamental horticulture sector welcomes move toward reducing post-Brexit trade friction and responds to plant-inclusive SPS pledge.
At the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May — the first high-level meeting of its kind in over two years — both sides committed to rebuilding trust and cooperation following years of post-Brexit disruption. Among a broad range of topics, including security and energy, the summit produced one headline of particular interest to the horticultural world: a joint pledge to pursue a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, with plants specifically included in scope.
Although plant trade was not the centrepiece of the summit, the inclusion of this commitment signals potential relief for the UK’s ornamental horticulture sector, which has faced costly delays, disrupted supply chains, and burdensome border checks since the end of the Brexit transition period.
The UK Government’s summary of the joint statement confirmed a “shared ambition to deliver an ambitious and comprehensive new SPS agreement,” with “plants and plant products” forming part of the plan. While details remain forthcoming, this is the clearest sign yet that a path toward regulatory alignment could ease the movement of live plants between the UK and EU — a matter of major commercial and biosecurity significance.
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), which has long advocated for such a move, welcomed the announcement. “Environmental horticulture businesses across the UK — from growers and retailers to landscapers and suppliers — have borne the brunt of costly and complex border processes since Brexit,” said HTA Chief Executive Fran Barnes. “This new SPS commitment is a result of years of advocacy and could remove unnecessary certification and inspections — saving the sector millions and reducing risk.”
UK growers, retailers and landscapers have all experienced the fallout of fragmented trade protocols. Jonathan Whittemore of Johnsons Nurseries, and chair of the HTA’s Ornamental Management Committee, said: “Border checks haven’t improved biosecurity but have added risk, delay and cost.” Neil Grant, Ferndale Garden Centre and chair of the HTA Retailer Committee, noted that retailers had struggled with stock delays, reduced choice, and increased staffing demands. “Lifting trade barriers should boost our range and reliability,” he said.
For landscapers, the consequences are felt in project delivery. “Damaged goods, delays and higher costs all compromise what we can offer clients,” said Dave Strows of Artform Landscapes, chair of the Association of Professional Landscapers Committee. “This step is long overdue — and a credit to the HTA’s tireless lobbying.”
Though the UK and EU’s commitment to an SPS agreement is only the start of what will likely be a complex negotiation, the horticulture industry is optimistic. The HTA, a member of international organisations including the AIPH-International Association of Horticultural Producers, the European Nurserystock Association (ENA), and Growing Media Europe, has pledged to continue working closely with the UK Government to ensure plant health, commercial viability, and sector resilience remain top of the agenda.
For growers outside the UK and EU, this move may seem overdue — but it’s a sign that after years of post-Brexit disruption, there’s finally momentum to fix a fractured system. It’s also a clear reminder that in global horticulture, biosecurity, trade, and sustainability don’t operate in silos — they collide at the border.