The Countryside Alliance has urged the Government to ensure that the interests of shooting and the game market are included in the Brexit negotiations with one year to go until the UK leaves the EU.
Chief Executive, Tim Bonner, and Political Relations Manager, James Somerville-Meikle, met the Minister of State for Exiting the EU, Lord Callanan, in Downing Street on Thursday 15 March to discuss the importance of trade and travel with the EU for shooting and shoot providers in both the UK and Europe.
The meeting took place to inform the second phase of the Brexit negotiations on the UK's new relationship with Europe ahead of our departure from the EU on 19 March 2019.
The Countryside Alliance published a Brexit policy document last year and has been raising issues such as the movement of firearms and gamebirds, and country sports tourism, with the government since the vote to leave the EU in June 2016. The meeting with Lord Callanan was the first time that issues relating to shooting have been discussed at a ministerial level with the Department for Exiting the EU and the Minister acknowledged the importance of shooting to the UK economy.
Chief Executive, Tim Bonner, commented: "There are many opportunities from leaving the EU, not least the chance to reform agricultural policy which has been determined by Brussels for the last 40 years. However, it is clearly in our interests to maintain a close trading relationship with the EU and this must include free and frictionless trade in areas such as firearms and ammunition, gamebirds and game meat, as well as maintaining mutually beneficial opportunities for country sports tourism.
"We are very grateful that the Minister took the time to discuss these matters and are confident that they will not be forgotten as the complex process of exiting the EU continues."