IEEP UK's December 2024 Divergence newsletter
No images? Click here
IEEP UK Divergence Newsletter
Issue #11 | 12 December 2024
Recent weeks have seen increasing coverage around the UK Government’s desire for a reset with the EU. Most notably this week, in a speech by Rachel Reeves to European finance ministers in Brussels – the first given by a UK Chancellor since Brexit - she did not rule out dynamic alignment with EU laws on farm, food, and goods export. At the heart of this is UK’s desire for improving trade relations to catalyse economic growth. It is timely that the UK Government is seeking input into a new trade strategy – led by Department of Business and Trade, with input from Defra and other departments (please get in touch with us for more information on this consultation which is not online). Significantly, the UK and EU tentatively agreed a fishing deal too for 2025.
In the coming months IEEP UK will be looking more at farming, land use and food policy across the UK, how it is charting a new course since leaving the EU, and what the UK can learn from other European countries. Against a backdrop of farmer protests over the planned changes to inheritance tax and a promised roadmap for farming, the UK Government this week announced its intention to launch a new food strategy in 2025. In the new year we hope to share perspectives from other European national food strategies, but first we look at the recent Danish carbon tax in our latest blog. And if you’re interested in more food policy developments, listen to our Brussels IEEP colleagues recent podcast on financing resilient and equitable food systems.
On the nearer horizon, IEEP UK is hosting a webinar on 17 January 2025 examining the EU’s 2024 Environmental Crime Directive. We published a new briefing last week on the impact the EU’s new directive will have on the UK’s approach to tackling environmental crime.
Next week will see the EU Council discuss a number of other key policy areas which may result in further divergence with the UK including: a potential regulation to prevent plastic pellet losses (part of the EU’s zero pollution action plan for Air, Water and Soil and commitment to reduce microplastic release into the environment by 30%); a proposed regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles; and discussion on the EU’s proposed 2040 climate target which recommends a reduction in GHG emissions by 90% of 1990 levels by 2040.
[Briefing] The new EU Environmental Crime Directive: A diverging approach with the UK?
Environmental crime can be an emotive topic. From dead fish and pollution in rivers, to chemical spills, to destruction of habitats and the trade in species and wild flora; the most serious environmental crimes often elicit a strong response from the public. Environmental crime, particularly in the field of waste and wildlife crime, is often tied up with organised crime too. However, applying criminal sanctions in environmental crime cases is usually expensive and time consuming, and it is reserved for the most serious environmental crimes. In many EU member states criminal prosecutions are few in number with a preference for administrative penalties. To change this, the European Commission has brought in a new Environmental Crime Directive to require the use of criminal sanctions in certain cases, and to level up and harmonise sanctions already in place. This new Directive is a
significant upgrade on the previous 2008 Environmental Crime Directive and has several potentially very significant innovations for the UK to consider putting into practice in future. IEEP UK has published a new briefing assessing the significance and consequence of EU/UK divergence on this topic.
[Event] IEEP UK Webinar on Environmental Crime
On 17 January 2025 (09.30-11.30 GMT), IEEP UK will be hosting a webinar building on our new briefing examining the 2024 EU Environmental Crime Directive and its significance for UK/EU environmental policy divergence. Speakers include Professor Richard Macrory, Emeritus Professor of environmental law at University College London, plus a panel discussion with Anne Brosnan, Chief Prosecutor at the Environment Agency of England, Rob de Rijk, Chair of the European Network of Prosecutors of the Environment, and Michael Nicholson, Head of Policy at IEEP UK.
[News] English single-use vapes ban diverges from EU
New legislation to ban single-use vapes will come into force in June 2025. Applying in England only, the statutory instrument which falls under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act and the 2008 Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act will apply to all vapes that are non-refillable and/or non-rechargeable.
[News] Scottish Government publishes findings on review of post-Brexit environmental governance
The review of environmental governance was required by the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021. The consultation with stakeholders was a welcome opportunity to take stock of the significant changes that had taken place since Brexit despite some criticisms on the scope and breadth of the review – Environmental Standards Scotland described it as a missed opportunity to evaluate environmental governance more broadly and the Law Society of Scotland raised concerns about the role of environmental principles.
In other news...
[Blog] What should (and shouldn’t) the UK take from the Danish tax on GHG emissions from agriculture?
As post-Brexit farming policies across the UK continue to develop with varying levels of divergence from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, IEEP UK will be examining what is happening with agricultural policy at a national level in EU countries. Starting with Denmark - which provides a striking example of a very different approach to that taken in the UK. Holly Tomlinson’s new blog explores how this new tax works, its context and how this sits alongside the UK’s approach.
IEEP UK is recruiting for a Research and Communications Officer – if you know of any good candidates, please share this advert with them.
Stay connected with IEEP UK!
If this has been forwarded to you and you're not already subscribed, then keep up to date with IEEP UK via our divergence newsletter. You'll be first to learn about the latest environmental policy developments in the EU-UK, and keep up with events, publications, networking opportunities, and more!
