A looming deadline which could have stopped half of all veterinary medicines from being available in NI is to be extended, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.

A temporary grace period for enforcing the part of the NI Protocol which relates to veterinary medicines was set to expire on 31 December 2022.

However, a spokesperson for the European Commission has confirmed that the current deadline will be moved.

“The Commission is urgently reviewing the timeframe set out in this notice, with a view to ensuring the continuous supply of veterinary medicines in NI after 1 January 2023,” they said.

Industry sources suggest a 12-month extension to the grace period is likely, with the aim being for the EU and UK to agree a permanent solution to veterinary medicine supplies in NI during 2023.

The issue relates to the NI protocol and the requirement for NI to remain part of the EU’s regulatory system for pharmaceutical products.

It means all products entering NI need to be licensed for use in the EU. At risk are an estimated 51% of veterinary medicines, mainly originating in Britain and which are licensed for UK use. There is the option to re-license these products for use in NI, but it is a process companies are unlikely to deem cost-effective.

The same issue previously applied to human medicines in NI, although a deal was concluded in April 2022 which guarantees the supply of these products. The agreement between the EU and UK means human medicines from Britain do not require additional licensing before entering NI.

Representatives from the local veterinary and agriculture sectors are pushing for a similar arrangement to be reached for pharmaceutical products that are used in animals.

“The Commission stands ready to explore a long-term solution to this issue in the context of discussions with the UK government on the application of the protocol,” the European Commission spokesperson said.

In a recent letter to a committee of MPs, UK Minister Lord Benyon said it was the government’s “preference to resolve the issues facing veterinary medicines through talks”.

However, he added that the UK government will “take action” to ensure that NI can continue to access veterinary medicines and vaccines “if we cannot reach a negotiated solution”.