EU demands UK maintain chlorinated chicken ban or risk no trade deal

The EU will include a clause in the Brexit trade deal negotiations demanding that the UK maintain a ban on chlorinated chicken or risk a no-deal Brexit.

While protecting European meat exports, the move at the same time creates an obstacle to the UK reaching a deal with Donald Trump and the US, where chlorinated chickens are not prohibited.

The clause has been inserted into the EU’s negotiating mandate to ensure that both sides maintain “health and product sanitary quality in the food and agriculture sector”, according to a copy leaked to the Guardian.

In particular, the focus is on the use of particular pesticides, endocrine disruptors or chlorine washes for poultry that should not be used in the UK.

George Eustice, the new UK environment secretary, refused to confirm that the ban would remain in place and that it would not allow the importation of chlorine-washed chicken as part of a trade deal with the US.

EU ministers will sign off on the 46-page negotiating mandate for Barnier on Tuesday ahead of the start of talks next week.

In the negotiations, the EU will also seek the right to punish the UK if the government fails to comply with the Brussels rulebook in the future even though there will not be any “dynamic alignment”.

The leaked agreement, obtained by the Guardian, states “the envisaged agreement should uphold common high standards, and corresponding high standards over time with union standards as a reference point.”