Approach to the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020 Trade and Other Matters Technical Barriers to Trade Information about non-food product safety
As part of the TCA, the UK and the EU agreed a chapter on Technical Barriers to Trade (‘TBT’) and related annexes, including on medicinal products; motor vehicles, equipment and parts; and chemicals, as well as for organic products and wine.
	The TBT chapter applies to the preparation, adoption and application of technical regulations, standards, conformity assessment procedures, and market surveillance, while the annexes make provisions for more detailed arrangements in the relevant sectors. The TBT chapter and annexes include, amongst other things, provision relating to international standards and provision for the UK and EU to share information on non-food product safety.
	The Act will give effect to the provisions in the TBT chapter and certain annexes to share non-food product safety information by creating two gateways: one for the UK to share this data with the EU, and another to share information received from the EU in the UK. These gateways will enable the UK to implement the agreement to share non-food product safety information as provided in the TBT chapter and relevant annexes.
	The information on non-food product safety shared between the UK and EU will complement and enhance the information that UK (and EU) authorities already collect independently. This will help to ensure the safety and compliance of non-food products on the UK market, protecting consumers, health, safety, and the environment across the UK. This is not intended to restrict a Minister’s ability to share similar information under other information sharing powers.
	Information shared as part of the arrangements in the TCA may include information that is not publicly available, such as traceability information about businesses in the supply chain. The Act therefore includes provisions that restrict the onward distribution of the information received from the EU and ensures that it is only shared for a permitted purpose. A permitted purpose is where the sharing of the information is to ensure the protection of consumers, health, safety, or the environment.