Written question asked by Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 January 2026. It was answered by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

UK Trade with EU: Certification and Testing

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with the European Union on reducing barriers related to product testing and certification.

Answer: The government remains committed to tackling barriers to trade, including through implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), to bring benefits to businesses and achieve economic growth. DBT holds regular engagement with the EU, including through the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Technical barriers to Trade (TBT). This joint forum ensures the proper functioning of the TCA’s TBT chapter, and provides the opportunity to hold technical discussions and exchange information on topics such as regulatory developments, conformity assessment and product safety. The most recent committee was held on the 22 October 2025 and minutes of the meeting will be published shortly.

Secondary information