Following a number of articles on this site and discussions on LinkedIn.com (Will the UK environment be better inside or outside the European Union? & Environment and climate change ‘audit’ into what the EU does and how it affects the UK. Can you provide evidence?, the deadline for the consultation has closed.
Early evidence suggests that the responses to the Government’s Balance of Competence Review in the areas of environment and climate change reflect support for the current relationship with the European Union.
The IEMA (Institute for Environmental Management and Assessment) has highlighted consistency of implementation as a key issue and the important role that environment and sustainability professionals play in ensuring European environmental policy outcomes are achieved in an effective and efficient way.
In commenting on the review, Martin Baxter, IEMA’s Executive Director – Policy said:
“It is essential that the costs of environmental damage and pollution are internalised in economic decision making, providing a level playing field through the application of the ‘polluter-pays’ principle. Mechanisms to address market failure within the European single market are, in the first instance, best addressed at the European level.”
“For many areas of environmental policy, significant improvements can be achieved through people who apply appropriate environmental skills and competence. However, this rarely forms the basis of implementation plans at national and European level. A more structured approach to embedding skills provision in the delivery of European environment and climate change policy is urgently required.”
“European and international environmental standards play an important role in the effective functioning of the European single market and are increasing being used by the European Commission to support environment and climate change policy outcomes. It is essential that Defra and DECC play an active role in the standards development process in order to influence how policy is implemented.”
It will be interesting to see the final consolidated output from the review and the way forward on the issues.
A copy of the IEMA’s full response to the consultation can be found at http://bit.ly/16J2If9