The United Kingdom has made some progress in improving farmed animal welfare standards, such as banning practices like sow stalls for pigs and barren battery cages for hens. However, many animal products sold in the UK are produced in ways that would be illegal domestically.

 

Extending the UK’s standards to imports via legislation would close this loophole, consistently meet British expectations, ensure consumption does not support inhumane production overseas, provide fairness for UK farmers, and present an opportunity to strengthen the UK’s leadership on farmed animal welfare at home and overseas.

 

A concern from officials has been whether such a proposed measure would contradict rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or the free trade agreements (FTAs) the UK has already negotiated, and is hoping to negotiate, post-brexit. The report finds that scrutiny of existing WTO case law does not uphold this concern, and if challenged, it is likely a measure on imports would be found compliant. Furthermore, FTAs do not appear to restrict the UK’s ability to prohibit or otherwise regulate imports of products derived from cruel practices in ways that would be admissible under WTO law. 

 

A full "Assessment of the feasibility of applying United Kingdom’s animal welfare standards to imported products under WTO law. " can be accessed here.