Environmental protection ‘will be lower after UK quits the EU’

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS have warned that green protection standards will be lower after January, when the UK leaves the EU.

Ministers and negotiators have backed the freedom for the UK to diverge from European Union environmental protections and standards when the post-Brexit transition period ends on December 31.

They would be replaced with

British legislation such as the Environment Bill, Agriculture Bill and Fisheries Bill.

But the Greener UK coalition warns in its latest risk tracker analysis that all areas, including agriculture, air quality, chemicals and fishing, are at high risk of seeing weaker protections from 2021.

There is still the prospect of US trade deals undercutting animal welfare and environmental standards in imported food, and Greener UK also warns the Fisheries Bill does not mandate sustainable limits for fish stocks.

Legislation has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and the threat of no deal with the EU poses environmental risks including falling standards, more “mackerel wars” and a lack of cooperation on climate change, the coalition said.

Sarah Williams of Greener UK said: “For all the Government’s good intentions, it has still not committed to maintain our existing high standards in either domestic law or trade negotiations.

“Without urgent action, it will be harder to enforce environmental laws in January than it is now.

“Ministers have promised again and again that our environment will not be compromised. From the food on our plates to the products on our shelves, time is running out to prove it.”

Sarah Williams of Greener UK.

The group includes representatives of the RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts and Friends of the Earth. Yet senior MEPs have claimed it is ‘‘impossible’’ that post-Brexit trade deal will be agreed next month and accused the UK of attempting to ‘‘cherry pick’’ the benefits of EU membership to retain.

MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution which regretted a lack of real progress in talks so far and highlighted the substantial differences that remained between the two sides.

Major stumbling blocks included the conditions Brussels demands to ensure fair competition by keeping the UK closely tied to EU standards on workers’ rights, the environment and state subsidies – and fishing rights.

Meanwhile, the EU’s ambassador to the UK said a post-Brexit trade deal needs to be done by the end of October. Joao Vale de Almeida said the two sides are in a “unique and historic” situation.

The comments came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted he will not take up an EU offer to extend the transition period beyond the end of the year.

Without action, it will be harder to enforce environmental laws.