The man who once led Northern Ireland’s civil service has warned of the “real and present danger” the Retained EU Law Bill poses to our environment.
REUL, as it is known, is having its final reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
But David Sterling is not alone in his alarm about the legislation, which could rip up “the safeguards and protections” he says “we take for granted in our daily lives”.
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If it is not scrapped, wildlife and environmental charities say it will have profound and alarming consequences in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
They warn it could usher in a era of increased water and air pollution, and weaken nature protection and chemical regulation as it would allow Westminster to dump the EU Water Framework Directive, National Emission Ceilings Regulations and Habitat Regulations.
Wildlife and Countryside Link called it an “economic and environmental wrecking ball” with new figures suggesting the cost of weakened protections could amount to £82 billion in the next 30 years.
David Sterling shared his view on Twitter, saying: “This Bill is a real and present danger to our environment and to many of the safeguards and protections we take for granted in our daily lives.”
In addition to having serious implications for environmental protections in England, The Wildlife Trusts say the Bill will have major consequences for environmental law and legal certainty in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Jennifer Fulton, Chief Executive of Ulster Wildlife, said: “Despite having no government in Northern Ireland, this Bill would task non-existent Stormont ministers with assessing over 500 pieces of legislation on issues from the environment and food safety, to workers rights and public health.
“So far, Westminster has given no suggestions as to how Northern Ireland is expected to do this.
“This Bill creates a serious risk that our environmental protections will simply be removed by default, and will have implications for the Northern Ireland protocol.”
The Scottish Government has strongly opposed the Bill, calling it a “deregulatory race to the bottom” while the Welsh Government labelled it a “power grab”.
Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Everything about this appalling, anti-democratic and unconstitutional bill is wrong.
“It is seeking to give ministers the power to remove or amend existing UK legislation on a whim, but this should be the job of Parliament and Parliament alone.
“As things stand, over 1000 pieces of environmental legislation and regulations will cease to exist at the end of this year, at extraordinary cost to the environment and our economy, and cause untold chaos for business, landowners and farmers in the process.”
Hugh Knowles, co-executive director at Friends of the Earth, said: “Instead of needlessly wasting government funding on this bill, which will drain precious time and resources, the government could be investing in the measures that will actually improve people’s lives and support the restoration of our environment.”
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