FOR over 40 years, our industry enjoyed free movement of high health status horses between Ireland, the UK and France.

This freedom of movement was based on the Tri-Partite Agreement (TPA) between these European Union (EU) member states. This was an EU Agreement and so, when the UK voted to leave the EU, this agreement and all the benefits that it brought to us all, for so long, were forfeit.

The final day when the TPA animal health status benefits were still in place was December 31st, 2020. This was also the final day when the UK was part of the EU’s single market.

The UK departure from the single market also meant that all its future trade with the EU was on a completely different fiscal basis. Although a literally ‘last minute’ agreement on trade with and across the UK was reached, it came so late in the day and so close to the date of departure, that many of the details which should have been agreed in the months and years preceding departure, were either not addressed or not resolved.

This has led to a period of significant uncertainty for our industry and the uncertainty has come at a critical time, when we are commencing our new season of bloodstock breeding.

Difficulties

The ITBA recognised the difficulties that we are now encountering from the time of the initial Brexit vote in 2016. In 2017, the ITBA in conjunction with the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders Associations (EFTBA) and its chairman, Joe Hernon, embarked on a campaign which sought to highlight the difficulties and to resolve them, commencing with sending a formal delegation to visit the EU Commission, the EU Parliament and the EU Veterinary and Trade Departments in May of that year.

The EFTBA then joined with the International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation (ITBF) to seek the support of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in its lobbying efforts.

This initiative then resulted in the creation of pan-industry support through the International Sports Horse Council (ISHC), which links the IFHA with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

The IHSC then formed a task force to address the issues arising from Brexit and the 2021 animal health laws. The task force chairman is Goran Akerstrom, who is the head of the FEI’s veterinary department and its members are Brian Kavanagh (in his role as IFHA vice-chairman), Simon Cooper (chair of the International Stud Book Committee), Ronan Murphy (European Equestrian Federation) and I represent the EFTBA and the ITBA.

The task force has documented 22 formal visits to, and exchanges with, the EU and the UK since 2017. The Task Force has met every week since it was formed in May 2020 and it has produced monthly summary reports of its activities and outcomes, every month for its parent associations viz the FEI, IFHA, EFTBA and the ITBF and, through them, to the national member associations of each organisation.

The ITBA has therefore been at the forefront of every twist and turn of this complex process.

Industry value

The task force was able to demonstrate for the very first time, and based on verifiable data, that the European horse industry has a value to the European economy of more than €50 billion per annum and that it is responsible directly and indirectly for the generation of more than 500,000 jobs.

These figures are impressive, in any forum, and refute the misguided assumption that the horse industry is a minor entity when compared to other livestock industries.

The task force also documented the truly massive movements of horses that occur throughout Europe each year, with 452,364 movements associated with equine competitions and thousands upon thousands of thoroughbred movements every year, for racing, breeding and sales. The majority of thoroughbred movements are for breeding and sales.

The need to preserve our industry, and the rationale of how to do so, was spelt out repeatedly to the EU and UK negotiators.

Similarly, repeated representations were made to the EU veterinary authorities and we are fortunate in Ireland to have the active support of our own veterinary authorities.

All of these efforts to highlight our concerns and very real and immediate difficulties have led to a meeting with EU President Ursula van der Leyen, which was due to take place yesterday, February 5th.

The agenda will include the lack of uniformity of approach to horse movements through ports that is now evident, our concerns about the foal age-related restrictions on the movements of mares with foals at foot, and the VAT issues that are interfering with free movement.

The task force had a very significant role in the continued access to the UK landbridge for horse transport to and from continental Europe and Ireland that was announced two weeks before the EU & UK signed a future trade agreement.

The advocacy of the task force was also significant in the creation of the bipartite agreement between France and Ireland which mirrors the previous TPA agreement and allows us to move horses between our two countries without restriction.

The ITBA has therefore been at the forefront of every effort, at every level, to address the outstanding problems that we face and has worked hard and consistently to find a way through them.

Problems remain, but the they can be solved and are being actively and consistently addressed and by the ITBA and all of the other organisations referred to in this report. Our message to all of our trading partners must be “Ireland is open for business”.