The UK will have a "voice in the room" but no vote on European Union food policies as part of a so-called "Brexit reset" to reduce red tape, EU relations minister Hamish Falconer has told the BBC.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham hopes to agree a deal at a summit on Friday but critics have said a reset will make the UK "a rule taker" but not a rule maker.
Falconer said the UK will be involved in a process to shape the rules and said the deal could help bring down prices for shoppers.
The reset would not involve any upfront payments, Falconer added, but made it clear there could well be an "exit clause" in case a future UK government reversed the closer alignment.
Falconer said it was "reasonable" to consider what would happen if a future Conservative or Reform government wanted to undo the new arrangements.
"The EU is worried about that and you can see why," he said.
The BBC understands that the clause is a result of EU concerns about the possible cost of having to rebuild facilities for border food safety checks which were put in place following Brexit.
In September, the Conservative Party said it was "raising the alarm"
