The Guardian has revealed that the National Farmers’ Union lobbied to increase pesticide limits in UK drinking water derived from EU-era protections. The Guardian’s reporting in the past, based on research carried out by IEEP UK, has also shown that certain EU-derived environmental regulations in the UK were being eroded following Brexit.

The report quotes IEEP UK Executive Director, Ben Reynolds:

“The suggestion that pesticide residues in water should be allowed to increase is very concerning, particularly at a time when much of our freshwater is already in very poor condition, not least from agricultural runoff. The idea that diverging on environmental policy would not affect trade is questionable, as the first dispute being brought by the EU through the trade and cooperation agreement mechanisms is based on just that.

“The farming sector is under huge and varying pressures at the moment, but lowering environmental standards will only exacerbate those problems as it impacts on the natural habitat with which it is inextricably intertwined and depends.”

Click here to read more of the Guardian’s coverage on this issue. You can also access IEEP UK’s latest briefing on sewage in the UK at the link below.