Monthly Archives: April 2017

Last month, without fanfare, the Environment Agency updated its objectives and approach to intervention across 13 waste and installation regulatory sectors including hazardous waste, landfill, biowaste, inert and non-hazardous, metals recycling, and EfW for the period to 2020.

Publishing this data in this way for the first time, the EA gives a clear insight into its priorities and provides an ideal opportunity for businesses to review their compliance and business risk before the EA knocks on the door.

Charles Thomas, Consultancy Director, Wiser Environment says:

The Government confirmed last week that EU environmental legislation will remain in place in the UK post Brexit.

On 29th March, Teresa May triggered Article 50 giving formal notice of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the European Union. A day later, the Government published ‘The Great Repeal Bill White Paper’ outlining how it proposes to use the ‘Great Repeal Bill’ to convert EU legislation into UK law by the time of our withdrawal and thus ensure that the same laws apply from one day to the next.

The document highlighted that the Great Repeal Bill will ensure that all existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law until such time as we are in a position to review and consult on changes in the future. The Government also pledged in the white paper that it ‘is committed to ensuring that we become the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it’.

Whilst the method by which Government proposes to implement these legislative changes has attracted controversy, its commitment to EU environmental legislation gives businesses a degree of confidence in uncertain times and helps safeguard the environment at a time when the country’s focus is likely to be on other challenges.