(9 and 11 April 2019) UK NGO CEO Craig Bennett, from Friends of the Earth, said he is “delighted that Brexit has not yet happened and that at the very least we will take longer to work out the future relationship”.
He highlighted that decades of EU membership have led to high UK environmental standards. Their introduction was easier as a 28 Member State block, and it will be difficult for UK to match this progress on its own. He also pointed out the deficiencies in the method of copying across EU laws: that several elements are lost during the process, such as the schedules of the Habitat Directive. Further, the precautionary principle still does not feature in the UK’s post-Brexit legislation. He added that the UK’s Government promise of a “Green Brexit” would be broken if UK leaves the EU in the near future, as UK authorities do not have the measures in place to maintain, let alone to enhance environmental regulations and standards.
In contrast, Chairman of the UK Federation of Small Businesses, Mike Cherry, pointed out that the level of political uncertainty is detrimental to small business, which will have to bear high costs. UK companies are stockpiling and postponing investments, in view of preparing for a no-deal Brexit.
“Brexit and the environment: What’s next” event on 9 April 2019 organized by Friends of the Earth
Mike Cherry on BBC world newsday 11 April 2019