My View: Banning Imported Foie Gras

Thank you to everyone who contacted me about foie gras and a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement with the EU. Please know I support the high standards of animal welfare we have in England. I assure you the UK Government will only agree deals that provide value to the UK and UK industry.

I understand that the UK is working at pace towards a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the EU and aims to have legislation in place by the end of 2027.

I am pleased the EU has accepted that there will be several areas where the UK needs to retain its own rules. Although it is too soon to discuss the details of the SPS Agreement, I am reassured that UK Ministers have been clear with the EU about the importance of establishing arrangements which enable us to maintain high animal welfare standards. The UK and the EU share high animal welfare standards and a desire to go further in many key areas.

I know the SPS Agreement is one of the top priorities for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, alongside cleaning up our waterways, supporting British farmers and restoring nature and biodiversity. The Agreement will help make agricultural and food trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers, and helping to reduce the pressure on prices and increase choice in the shops.

Regarding foie gras, I share the British public's high regard for animal welfare. I know our Government is clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Foie gras production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is incompatible with our animal welfare legislation. I understand Ministers are continuing to consider the evidence and options in relation to foie gras.

Our Government published its Animal Welfare Strategy for England in December. I am pleased that within this the UK has committed to promoting the importance of high animal welfare standards and best practice on the international stage. The Animal Welfare Strategy is a new approach which commits to safeguarding the welfare of animals for the long term, using the best available science and working transparently with stakeholders to ensure real-world improvements.