UK falling behind EU on green standards after brexit rollback
The United Kingdom is facing growing criticism for weakening environmental protections inherited from the European Union, despite Labour’s pledge not to reduce standards. An analysis by experts and NGOs shows that, five years after Brexit, the country is lagging behind Europe in areas such as clean air, water quality, biodiversity, and chemical regulation.
While the EU has advanced more than 25 new environmental laws since Brexit, the UK has chosen not to adopt them, and in some cases has actively rolled back protections. The recent Planning and Infrastructure Bill, for example, overrides EU habitat directives, raising concerns about the survival of species like dormice, red squirrels, and nightingales.
Although some positive measures have been taken—such as banning sand eel fishing to protect puffins and creating new marine protected areas—these are outweighed by setbacks in other key areas. Environmental groups warn that the UK risks becoming a “dumping ground” for polluting industries and substandard products as the EU strengthens its recycling and pollution standards.
The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and British NGOs argue that instead of leading on green policy, the UK is “going backwards.” Critics say this contradicts earlier promises that Brexit would allow Britain to become “world-leading” in environmental protection.
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