Supply issues could affect more than half of veterinary medicines.
A new report by a House of Lords committee has urged the UK and the EU to come to a sustainable agreement over the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland, following concerns raised by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and others.
The Windsor Framework agreement between the UK and the EU, which was announced in February 2023, safeguards the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland until the end of 2025. However, it is unclear at this stage what will happen after that date.
Giving evidence to the Sub-Committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, which produced the report, the BVA welcomed the extension of the grace period for veterinary medicines agreed in the Windsor Framework.
However, it warned that a failure to come up with a permanent solution could see veterinary surgeons in Northern Ireland lose access to 51 per cent of the veterinary medicines they currently receive.
The loss of access would affect every part of the veterinary sector, including small animal, equine, and farm animal, the BVA told the committee, and would have ‘significant implications for animal health and welfare, public health, trade and the agricultural economy’.
The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), the Ulster Farmers’ Union and the Diary Council for Northern Ireland also warned about the supply issues which could arise without a permanent solution.
Based on this evidence, the report has called for a long-term deal on veterinary medicines to be agreed as soon as possible. The report says: ‘This issue needs to be resolved now rather than in 2025 when the cliff-edge is looming.’
The UK Government has said that it will continue to work to find a long-term solution.
A Defra spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring that Northern Ireland can continue to access the veterinary medicines and vaccines they need, and the three-year extension to the grace period has ensured an uninterrupted supply for these products in the immediate term.
“We will continue to work with stakeholders, and we are clear that only acceptable outcome will be one that provides a durable and sustainable solution which safeguards the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland.”
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