The government will have to consult a new environment standards watchdog after Brexit, Defra secretary Michael Gove has announced.
Ministers and other public bodies will report to the independent statutory body on environmental legislation, and the watchdog will step in when needed to enforce standards.
The plans come amid concerns that environmental regulations enshrined in EU law may not be replaced in domestic legislation after Brexit.
MPs have warned that Brexit could endanger the UK’s wildlife and habitats if this happens, and in January the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee called for a new environmental protection law to be created.
Gove said the new watchdog would “hold the powerful to account” and “deliver a green Brexit”.
At the moment environmental decisions made in the UK are overseen by the European Commission, but after Brexit this responsibility would be transferred to the new domestic body.
A consultation on the specific powers and scope of the body will be launched early next year.
Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show on 12 November, Gove said: “We will deliver a green Brexit, where environmental standards are not only maintained but enhanced.
“Today we are setting out our plans to ensure the powerful are held to account. We will consult on creating an independent body, encouraging transparency and preventing careless or irresponsible behaviour damaging our natural environment.
“We will consult as widely as possible on these proposals to ensure we get this important decision right for future generations.”
As it stands, environmental decisions made in the UK – from improving air and water quality to protecting endangered species – are overseen by the European Commission, which monitors targets, scrutinises new legislation and takes action against illegal behaviour.
The current system is underpinned by a number of ‘environmental principles’, such as sustainable development and the ‘polluter pays’ principle that those who produce pollution should pay the costs of managing it to prevent damage to the environment or human health.
Although these principles are already central to government environmental policy, they are not set out in one place besides the EU treaties.
The proposed consultation on the statutory body will explore the scope and content of a new policy statement, and see whether the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland wish to take a similar approach.
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