Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you very much, consul. We now move to questions. Before I ask my first question, I thank you for your kind words about our hospitality. I felt the solidarity of the Scottish people with you at this week’s “Ukraine Forever!” concert in the Usher Hall.

I would like to reflect on the visit to mark the third year since the illegal invasion of Ukraine, when colleagues from Westminster talked about the utter defiance of the people of Ukraine. They said that their resilience and resolve were unlike anything that they had experienced in their lifetimes.

I would like to understand what the mood of the displaced Ukrainians in Scotland is at the moment, as we see the geopolitical landscape changing almost daily in relation to the global players in the situation.

When displaced Ukrainians began arriving, the committee brought up the issue of professional recognition. I am happy to say that we will follow up on that work to see whether there has been any improvement. I had a conversation with a displaced teacher in my constituency, where we have many displaced Ukrainian people. We will certainly take that up.

My colleague George Adam has a final question.

I will bring in Mr Balcock.

Lucy Ozanne, some of the evidence that the committee has taken indicated that, until UK border controls increase and importers from Europe to the UK start to feel some of the barriers and tensions—until the pain is felt on both sides, if I can put it that way—progress on SPS agreements will kind of be in abeyance. How does your industry feel about how it might impact trade the other way, without some of these issues being addressed? We hope that they will be addressed fairly rapidly.

I have a final question for James. In your evidence, you specifically talk about the EU nature restoration law that is coming forward and which is, as you say, very “ambitious”. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that? Yesterday, we had a debate in which Lorna Slater, one of the Green members, talked about the environmental issues as being either a ceiling or a floor. Either you are levelling up to the EU, or you are going beyond it, while still maintaining an advantage. Can you say a little bit more about the nature restoration law and what might be achievable from a Scottish Parliament point of view?

I am sorry—I meant David. [Interruption.] My apologies—that is twice that I have got your name wrong. That is really bad convening.

I will bring in Patrick Harvie, who is online.

Thank you.

Good morning. I warmly welcome everyone to the sixth meeting in 2025 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. Our first agenda item is a decision on taking business in private. Do we agree to take item 3 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Our next agenda item is evidence on the Scottish Government’s policy of European Union alignment. We are joined in the room by Mark Roberts, chief executive of Environmental Standards Scotland, and Lucy Ozanne, industry strategy and public affairs manager at Quality Meat Scotland, and we are joined online by David Baldock, senior fellow, common agricultural policy and food, at the Institute for European Environmental Policy UK.

I will start with a broad question. The Food and Drink Federation Scotland is not represented here today, but, in its response to our call for views, it said that

“It is still too early to fully assess how the Scottish Government’s policy to align with EU Law will work in practice in the long term”

and that

“there are likely to be many areas of complexity, especially if the Scottish Government wishes to mirror EU law whilst other parts of the UK wish to take a different path.”

What is your overall assessment on that issue?