The new rules, introduced on Monday 23rd June 2025, require machines to be thoroughly cleaned, pre-notified via the EU CHED-PP system, and accompanied by either a Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL) or a Phytosanitary Certificate. These measures are being enforced by UK authorities and have caused alarm across Northern Ireland’s farming and machinery sectors.

The wording of the EDM is as follows:

EU Red Tape Hits NI Farmers and Machinery Businesses

That this House expresses deep concern at the implementation, from 23 June 2025, of EU regulations requiring used agricultural and forestry machinery moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to comply with burdensome plant health requirements, including mandatory cleaning, pre-notification via the CHED-PP system, and the provision of either a Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL) or a Phytosanitary Certificate; condemns the enforcement of these rules by UK authorities despite recent UK-EU agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures; notes the damaging impact on Northern Ireland’s agri-food, machinery, and contracting sectors; further notes that this approach undermines the integrity of the UK internal market and places disproportionate and unnecessary burdens on local traders; and calls on the Government to urgently challenge this imposition, halt its enforcement, and defend the economic and constitutional interests of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.

Calling on cross-party support for the motion, Carla Lockhart said:

“The decision to press ahead with this draconian and illogical set of requirements is yet another blow to Northern Ireland’s agri-food and machinery sectors. There is absolutely no justification for this approach especially given the recent commitments UK-EU agreement on SPS arrangements, which the Government itself trumpeted as evidence that trust had been restored with Brussels.

Rather than pursue common-sense solutions, the Secretary of State and DEFRA have instead chosen to enforce the most stringent interpretation of EU law – without any regard for the consequences on Northern Ireland businesses or the UK internal market.

Whilst not expected to shift the dial dramatically, the work carried out by the previous government to seek the extension of the Plant Health Exports Audited Trader Scheme (PHEATS) to cover used machinery now seems to have fallen into abeyance. Instead, we are witnessing full-throated implementation of EU rules which bear no relation to the needs of local traders or the primacy of internal UK trade.

This is red tape gone mad and it is costly, cumbersome, and completely unnecessary. Northern Ireland’s suppliers of used agricultural machinery and contractors now face huge uncertainty, with real financial and operational consequences.

The internal UK market should be sacrosanct, yet it is being undermined again by decisions taken in Brussels and enforced by Ministers in London. This latest development highlights the ongoing constitutional harm being inflicted on Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

I urge all Northern Ireland MPs regardless of political affiliation to sign this EDM and send a clear message that these burdensome rules must be scrapped. This is not a partisan issue; it is about standing up for our local economy and demanding equal treatment for our businesses.”

Ms Lockhart has also requested urgent meetings with the Cabinet Office, DEFRA and DAERA to press for immediate action to reverse the policy.