The Charges for Residues Surveillance Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2026: final business & regulatory impact assessment (BRIA)

Executive summary

This is the final BRIA which considers the impact of the Charges for Residues Surveillance Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2026.

The Regulations aim to amend fees required to be paid in relation to surveillance of animals and animal products for residues of veterinary medicinal products and other substances, having last been updated in April 2025. This is required to return the National Residues Control Plan (NRCP) to full cost recovery basis as an industry-funded programme. This is a statutory programme delivered by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to protect human health, provide assurance about the safety of food products, and support UK food exports.

The proposed amendments would only directly impact food processors involved in the NRCP. The overall impact of the proposals, as a limited move to uprate charges due to increased realised and forecast operational costs, is anticipated to be neutral for businesses, workers, and Scotland’s communities in general.

The Scottish Government has engaged with a range of stakeholders throughout the policy development. Internal stakeholders include Food Standards Scotland and intergovernmental working groups. Externally, targeted stakeholder engagement via a public consultation on Citizen Space was held between 24 November 2025 to 19 January 2026.

Options considered in policy development discussions included:

1. No change to existing charges.

2. A flat rate 22% increase to the charges applied across all sectors taking part in the NRCP.

3. A specific percentage increase tailored for each industry sector based on their specific sampling plan and production levels.

Following the outcome of the public consultation, the tailored increase to charges was agreed to be the most equitable option. The proposed Regulations are planned to come into force on 29 October 2026. Wales and England passed equivalent legislation earlier this year, and following implementation there would be no divergence of rate charges across Great Britain.

Given the existing regulatory framework, non-regulatory voluntary options and industry standard setting have not been considered appropriate. The policy has not received any advice from the Regulatory Review Group.