Environmental Legislation & BREXIT

There is currently some uncertainty around the potential changes to UK environmental legislation & BREXIT as a result of the pending negotiations to leave the EU. It is not entirely clear how current EU Directives enshrined in UK legislation will be untangled – or if they will be untangled – from the current legislative framework.

I think it is highly likely that most if not all of the current environmental legislation will remain in place for years to come and we are unlikey to see a mass cull of some of the lesser laws and regulations. The Environmental Permitting Regulation are likely to stay in their current form as are a plethora of many of other pieces of law, it is difficult to see how they can be swept aside – even if this is what many in the UK manufacturing and waste sectors would actually like to see.

The UK will want to trade with Europe and other continents and effective (not unwieldy) environmental legislation is seen as a benchmark of how well a developed country considers itself in world standing. The Environment Agency does seem to be struggling to regulate with limited resources currently, however to a greater or lesser degree I think it likely that it will remain in place and try to streamline it’s regulatory remit in answer to calls for more sensible regulation as per the recent “red tape challenge” which has done away with several pieces of unnecessary legislation – site waste management plans and hazardous waste producers registration at site level.

How it will eventually affect the UK environmental consultancy and industrial management sectors is anyone’s guess at the moment. Environmental Legislation & BREXIT is an ongoing development and debate.