Recent weeks have seen a flurry of recent emerging developments related to EU/UK and intra-UK divergence in environmental law and policy, including the tribunal on the sandeels dispute, potential linkages between the EU and UK Emissions Trading Schemes, trade, chemicals, pesticides, marine pollution and much more.

At IEEP UK’s recent Annual Conference, Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh MP, joined a host of other speakers in exploring the UK’s relationship with the EU and what it can draw from the rest of Europe to meet Defra’s five priorities. Both the Minister and the Commission’s Claudia Fusco emphasised their desire for a closer working relationship, and it was the first time that the new Government commented publicly on its status with the European Environment Agency, amidst calls for the UK to seek to rejoin.

The UK Government has announced it will be creating a new national food strategy (for England), and IEEP UK’s Executive Director, Ben Reynolds, appeared on a recent episode of the BBC’s Food Programme to discuss the potential for this to have an impact where previous attempts have faltered, drawing on a forthcoming report that IEEP UK has contributed to looking at national approaches to food policy across Europe. This new report will be the subject of an IEEP UK webinar on the 24 March, chaired by BBC’s Sheila Dillon.

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Committee recently launched an inquiry into nitrogen which saw IEEP UK’s senior fellow, David Baldock, give oral evidence at the launch, drawing on last year’s report which drew on potential solutions from across Europe to help Government meet its own targets for reducing nitrogen loss/pollution.

To read more download the February Newsletter.

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