Brexit talks must include environmental issues

A new Seanad report - Brexit: Implications and Potential Solutions - calls for Ireland to be ‘considered a single bio-geographic unit’ amid fears that UK and EU regulation in this area ‘may fall out-of-sync’ once Brexit negotiations are concluded.

The report follows a recent conference held in Dundalk, hosted by Environmental Pillar, which highlighted the need to avoid a ‘ hard environ- mental border’ emerging post Brexit. The conference also heard that it was essential for environmental regulation to be aligned between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit.

The new Seanad report detailed how this could be reinforced by stipulating in negotiations that the UK must adhere to European environmental law standards to gain access to the Single Market.

Michael Ewing, Coordinator of Environmental Pillar, who led the Dundalk confer- ence said: ‘It will be vital in a post-Brexit environment to ensure on-going cross-border environmental cooperation as nature does not recognise national boundaries. The challenges for the environment on both sides of the border, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, air and water quality remain the same now as before the UK voted to leave the EU.

It is crucial therefore that the island of Ireland is considered as a single bio-geographic unit and that effective mechanisms exist to resolve and manage cross border environmental issues post Brexit. We in the Environmental Pillar and our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Environment Link are therefore committed to working with our respective governments to ensure the best outcomes for our shared environment.

He added that environmental organisations have the experience and expertise to offer assistance during the ongoing Brexit negotiations.