TAC Put on Statutory Footing

The Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) was initially launched for a six-month period in July to bring together voices from across the sector and report back to inform top-level trade policy and negotiations, however as of 1st November it has been given a full statutory footing.

The TCA will produce a report on the impact on animal welfare and agriculture of each free trade deal the government signs after the end of the EU transition period on January 1. This report will be laid in Parliament before the start of the 21-day scrutiny period under the terms of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.

The TCA will also advise on the trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, to ensure that animal welfare, food production and environmental standards are not undermined and to identify new export opportunities.

The Commission’s interim report will be published in February 2021 and presented to Parliament.