Countryside Alliance raises concerns about new environmental body

The Countryside Alliance has warned that the Government's proposed new environment watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), lacks sufficient powers and independence from government to make it an effective regulator.

The OEP is one of the proposals contained in the Government's draft Environment Bill, which was published at the end of last year. The draft Bill sets out plans for environmental protection and enforcement outside the EU. Under the Government's proposals, the OEP would replace the jurisdiction of the EU Commission and Court of Justice as the arbitrator for complaints regarding environmental policy.

In written evidence submitted to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee and Environmental Audit Committee, the Countryside Alliance raised questions about whether the proposed management and finances of the OEP are sufficiently independent to hold the Government to account. The Committees are carrying out a short joint inquiry into the Bill prior to a final Bill being presented to Parliament later this year.

The draft Bill also contains a number of environmental principles which will form the basis for environmental policy in England and Wales outside the EU. The Countryside Alliance has raised concerns that there appears to be no mechanism to amend the list of principles in the future. Such a mechanism is vital if the law is to be sufficiently flexible to evolve with advances in science, future agreements, and international obligations.

The evidence submitted by the Countryside Alliance has been published on the EFRA Committee website and is available here. The inquiry is ongoing.