With just three and a half months left until the United Kingdom leaves the European Union the consequences of the Brexit for the countries that will remain in the EU are starting to become evident. In its Tuesday edition, the financial daily ‘De Tijd’ cited the example of the extra veterinary surgeons that will be needed to carry out checks on livestock that is imported from the UK.
Currently the Federal Food Safety Agency (FAVV) uses the services of around 300 vets to carry out checks on livestock that originates from non-EU. As the UK is currently in the EU livestock that come from there doesn’t require such checks.
However, from midnight on 31 March 2019 the UK will cease to be a member of the European and as such any livestock coming from across the Channel will be treated in the same way as livestock from any other country that is not in the European Union. This will greatly increase the workload and consequently FAVV will require 60 extra vets.
The agency will face stiff competition in its quest to recruit extra vets from its Dutch counterpart. The Dutch Food and Wares Authority will need an extra 100 vets post-Brexit. The Dutch have launched a recruitment campaign at Ghent University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Nevertheless, FAVV is confident that it will find enough extra vets.
