Today marks an important day for people across the world: the United Kingdom has begun to leave the EU, now that Article 50 has been triggered.
On the 24th of June 2016, it was announced that the voters within the UK had voted to leave the European Union. Many were immediately concerned about the economy, free movement and trade, yet there was little speculation as to what might happen in regards to the environment. Much of the law implemented surrounding environmental areas comes directly from the European Union.
While there are over 800 pieces of EU legislation regarding the environment, covering areas from wildlife and their habitats to water quality and farming, Angela Leadsom has stated that a third of these legislative agreements would be difficult to transpose and implement into UK law. This follows the Government’s plan to transpose all EU environmental law back into UK law using the great repeal bill.
While there is a great opportunity for the environment to take a hit leaving the EU and it’s laws behind, many argue that it may not actually be the disaster everyone first thought. By being able to determine their own laws, leaving the EU could offer a unique opportunity for lawmakers to create a system of environmental protection that is tailored specifically to the needs of the UK, rather than the whole of the EU.
David Attenborough previously stated: “As we prepare to leave the European Union, I believe there is more urgency than ever to make our environmental laws ambitious and meaningful. Wildlife doesn’t respect the boundaries of human states, so once we leave the European Union it will be vital for us to continue to cooperate with other countries over matters such as fisheries and environmental standards.”
Little has currently been set in stone as regards environmental legislation, despite the fact that a 25-year plan was promised by the environment department over a month ago, which is leading many people to become concerned.
