EU Delivery Programme
DEFRA · DEFRA_0587_2526-Q3
Department page: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
| Data as at | Rating | End date | Whole-life cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | Amber (NISTA's independent assessment) | Low: 28/09/2028, High: 28/09/2028 | £832.04m (in 2024/25 prices) |
Each year’s cost is shown with its price basis. Costs are not compared between years: the March 2024 and March 2025 reports state no price basis, and from March 2026 costs are in 2024/25 prices.
The department’s commentary
This is the department’s own commentary. It may use different prices from the table above, so its figures may not match.
March 2026
Rating: Delivery of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement by mid-2027 remains high risk but deliverable. We are working to assumptions on negotiations and the Parliamentary timetable - both outside the Programme’s direct control - which, if met, will make delivery by mid-2027 achievable.
Schedule: The portfolio predicted end-date at 25/26-Q4 is scheduled to be 28/9/28. This is primarily due to the following factors: negotiations, Parliamentary timetable and ongoing work to embed and improve delivery mechanisms to realise the full benefits of the deal.
Cost: The portfolio’s departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 25/26 -Q4 is £860m over four years. This is primarily due to the following factors: digital system development and upgrades, including access to EU agencies, systems and databases, staffing costs and fees associated with border control changes.
Names, figures, dates, ratings and commentary are as the department reported them. Where a rating, cost or date is withheld, the file’s wording is shown. Every major project →