Analysis indicates that the United Kingdom is falling behind the European Union concerning environmental protections, despite commitments from the Labour government not to reduce standards following Brexit. Experts suggest that the current government has opted to regress in certain environmental areas, although there are instances of improvement, such as banning sand eel fishing.
The Labour government, while promising a “reset” in relations with the EU, has not addressed widening gaps in environmental legislation that emerged after Brexit. An analysis by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and the Guardian highlights that since Brexit, the EU has introduced 28 pieces of new or revised environmental legislation that the UK has not adopted. The UK government has made changes to four existing laws that relate to topics such as protected habitats and fisheries.
Key areas of concern in UK environmental policy include planning legislation that overrides EU protections for habitats, a lack of progress in water policy, and the removal of EU air quality standards. The UK risks becoming a “dumping ground” for inferior products due to the EU’s stringent recycling regulations, which the UK has not followed.
The Office for Environmental Protection has expressed concern regarding the planning and infrastructure bill, which would weaken habitat protections. Despite Labour’s commitment to environmental safeguarding in its 2024 manifesto, recommendations from this body have reportedly been disregarded.
Furthermore, while some areas of UK policy, like marine protected areas, have improved, they are overshadowed by the overall decline in regulatory strength. In comparison, the EU is also grappling with environmental challenges, including delays in new legislation and potential rollbacks on existing protections.
The context of this analysis raises questions about the UK’s future direction in environmental policy. As experts call for the UK to not only match but exceed EU standards, the current trajectory suggests that the country may be struggling to maintain its environmental leadership post-Brexit.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/19/uk-falling-behind-eu-environmental-rules-post-brexit-rollback