Not for EU

"Not for EU"
A "Not for EU" label on a chicken product in July 2025
Standards organizationDefra
Effective regionUK
Effective sinceOctober 2023[a]
Product categoryCertain food products

The "Not for EU" label is a designation attached to the packaging of certain food products sold on the UK market. It was introduced in October 2023 as part of the Windsor Framework agreement due to difficulties arising from the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit withdrawal agreement and to allow all goods to enter Northern Ireland from Great Britain[b] under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) with little or no checks. Therefore, after Brexit, this would entail that goods sold in Northern Ireland could freely enter the EU even if not conforming to EU regulations.

Due to differing food regulations, foods with the label may not be exported to the EU. The UK government later decided that the marking should be required in the rest of the UK from October 2024 but, following the change of government, the decision was not implemented. The label is permitted in Great Britain but is not required.

Meaning

The presence of the 'Not for EU' label indicates that the product is not declared to conform to EU standards and thus may not legally be sold in the EU.[1]. Goods manufactured in the United Kingdom – including Northern Ireland  – continue to be exported to the EU provided that they do meet EU standards.

The marking is a consequence of Brexit, specifically the Johnson resolution to the Brexit trilemma by keeping an open trade border on the island of Ireland. Since Brexit, Northern Ireland remains a part of the EU single market for goods, due to the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework. This meant that goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK should be subject to EU regulations - even if these differ from UK regulations, because Northern Ireland remains a part of the EU single market for goods.[2] The labelling is intended to ensure that goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain require only minimal checks, provided that they do not end up for sale in the EU. Visitors from the EU may buy products with the label and take them home, but may not resell them.[3] The label may also be used on goods imported to the UK, whether from the EU or any other country.[1]

Implementation and expansion

Further information: Irish Sea Border

The "Not for EU" label was first announced in February 2023 after the UK government reached an agreement with the EU.[2] Although it was officially introduced in October 2023, the label was first spotted at Asda supermarkets in Northern Ireland as early as August 2023, one month before introduction.[4]

Implementation of the label to the rest of the UK was proposed in January 2024 which would be required for all meat products from October 2024. Consultation on the expansion followed in February 2024. On 30 September 2024, the government decided not to proceed with the UK-wide 'Not for EU' label requirement, the day before it would have been required.[5]

Phase 1 required that meat and certain dairy products under the NIRMS are labelled from 1 October 2023. This is followed by phase 2 from 1 October 2024 for all dairy products. From 1 July 2025, composite products which contain both products of plant and animal origin, have to be labelled, such as pizza.[6]

Criticism

The requirement for 'not for EU' labelling has sparked criticism and caused confusion "as experts warn the new policy risks leaving Brits in the dark" and that some customers think the UK food standards have dropped since leaving the EU.[1]

The chief executive of Marks & Spencer, Stuart Machin, has declared the label to be "bureaucratic madness". He said that 1,000 additional products would be affected and 400 more would be subject to additional checks.[7] He also said that it is "completely unnecessary given the UK has some of the highest food standards in the world".[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Although officially introduced in October 2023, the label was seen in NI supermarkets as early as August 2023.
  2. ^ defined as from England, Scotland and Wales

References

  1. ^ a b c Parker, Geoff (21 June 2024). ""Not for EU" Food Labels Receive Heavy Criticism". Labelservice. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Brexit: What does Windsor Framework mean for business?". BBC News. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  3. ^ "First 'Not for EU' posters begin appearing in NI supermarkets". BBC News. 28 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Brexit: Asda is first NI supermarket to use 'Not for EU' label". BBC News. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Government decides against introducing 'Not for EU' labelling requirements". www.nfuonline.com. 12 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Labelling requirements for certain products moving from Great Britain to retail premises in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme". GOV.UK. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  7. ^ a b Butler, Sarah (27 June 2025). "M&S boss slams 'bureaucratic madness' of products requiring 'not for EU' labels". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
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