Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill

Written evidence submitted by Mrs Suzanne Ewers (REULB71)

To Whom it may Concern

Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) ("RUEL") Bill – Objection with Evidence

I am writing to you to object most strongly to the Government’s intention to revoke and reform around 570 EU environmental protection laws which are part of the above Bill. The passage of this Bill through Parliament (both in respect of its Revocation as well as Reform) is a cause for grave concern to every citizen of the UK. This is a critical time in human history when the protection of our natural environment should be central to all legislation and policy, and the ability for Parliament to debate and scrutinise these aspects are vital.

These EU laws have progressively evolved and strengthened with strong UK input over decades to establish an invaluable basis and framework to protect our environment. They are founded on important key principles, notably precaution, prevention, rectifying pollution at source, and ‘the polluter must pay’. These principles must not be lost or weakened in any way. Currently there is no Government plan to roll out new environmental legislation before these laws are automatically ended (‘sunsetted’) by 31st December 2023. The scale of this legislative review is enormous, and the timetable short. If this Bill were passed, the Environment Act of 2021 will be virtually toothless!

Some of the key specific laws at stake include:

· The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017: rules that protect hundreds of wildlife sites from unsustainable development and safeguard threatened species from destruction.

· The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017: the laws that set strict standards for rivers and streams, guarding against pollution and over-abstraction.

· The Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010: imposing limits on toxic air pollution, such as particulate matter, which is responsible for widespread environmental harm and serious harm to human health.

· The Marine Strategy Regulations 2010: requiring government to implement plans for the protection of our seas and vulnerable sea life.

EU laws have provided valuable protection in the past and what is needed now is for these to be retained, improved and enforced. An approach which revokes existing protection before effective equivalent or better legal replacements are in place is unacceptable and would be a massive backwards step. This would leave key aspects of wildlife protection deregulated and unprotected, which goes directly against the post-Brexit promise of the government to halt the decline of nature by 2030.

Furthermore, this Bill intends to automatically repeal the REUL by the end of 2023, unless Ministers decide to maintain it before that date.  The Bill gives the UK and devolved governments wide powers to determine the future of each piece of retained EU law without the necessary Parliamentary review and scrutiny. It is disgraceful that this government should contemplate proceeding in this manner on issues of such high importance.

The current Bill to revoke and reform key environmental laws without replacements legally in place, will create a free-for-all to developers and other corporations, which will be very damaging to the environment and will undo years of progress on environmental protection. It is a dangerous and superficial process.

I implore you to think again and find a better way to incorporate EU legislation into UK law.

Yours faithfully

Mrs Suzanne E Ewers

Resident of West Sussex

November 2022