New IEEP Report
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March 2016 The potential policy and environmental consequences for the UK of a departure from the European Union Prepared by: Institute for European Environmental Policy In collaboration with: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This report has been funded and supported by a group of organisations comprising: WWF UK; RSPB; and The Wildlife Trusts. The report has benefited greatly from helpful comments on the text by several individuals both from within these organisations and externally. We are grateful to all of them for their contributions, while the responsibility for errors and matters of judgement remain with the authors. Authors: David Baldock, Allan Buckwell, Alejandro Colsa-Perez, Andrew Farmer, Martin Nesbit, Mia Pantzar. Principal reviewers: Robin Churchill, Franz Fischler, Andy Jordan, Anthony Long, and with additional drafting by Graham Tucker Cover Image: Shutterstock standard license, 2015. Institute for European Environmental Policy London Office 11 Belgrave Road 3rd Floor London, SW1V 1RB Tel: +44 (0) 20 7799 2244 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7799 2600 Brussels Office Quai au Foin, 55 Hooikaai 55 B- 1000 Brussels Tel: +32 (0) 2738 7482 Fax: +32 (0) 2732 4004 The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is an independent not-for-profit institute. IEEP undertakes work for external sponsors in a range of policy areas. We also have our own research programmes. For further information about IEEP, see our website at www.ieep.eu. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of the report ..................................................................................................... 6 1 Introduction and Context ........................................................................................ 13 2 The EU record: strengths and weaknesses as an environmental actor ...................... 15 2.1 Establishing an EU Environmental Policy ......................................................................... 15 2.2 The EU’s Strengths as an Environmental Actor ............................................................... 16 2.3 The EU’s Weaknesses as an Environmental Actor ........................................................... 18 2.4 Current and future influences on EU policy .................................................................... 19 3 Brexit and its consequences .................................................................................... 22 3.1 The departure of the UK would have effects at several levels: ....................................... 22 3.2 Examining some alternatives to EU membership ............................................................ 25 3.2.1 Scenario 1 – Retaining access to the internal market through membership of the EEA (´the inside the EEA Option´) ............................................................................................. 25 3.2.2 Scenario 2: No access to the internal market (‘the entirely outside Option’) .......... 30 4 Environmental quality: pollution control, wastes and chemicals .............................. 34 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Air quality ......................................................................................................................... 34 4.2.1 Air Quality following a UK departure ....................................................................... 36 4.3 Water quality and management ...................................................................................... 37 4.3.1 Water quality following UK departure ..................................................................... 39 4.4 Controlling pollution emissions ....................................................................................... 40 4.4.1 Controlling emissions following a UK departure ...................................................... 42 4.5 Waste management ......................................................................................................... 42 4.5.1 Waste management following a UK departure ....................................................... 45 4.6 The use of single market measures under the EU Treaty ................................................ 46 4.7 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 47 5 Nature protection ................................................................................................... 49 5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 49 5.2 Relevant nature conservation policy in the EU ............................................................... 49 5.3 Policy scenarios for nature conservation following Brexit .............................................. 54 5.4 Implications of EU departure for nature conservation.................................................... 55 5.4.1 The Birds and Habitats Directives ............................................................................ 55 5.4.2 Marine nature conservation policy .......................................................................... 56 5.4.3 International – impacts outside the UK ................................................................... 57 3 5.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 58 6 Climate and energy ................................................................................................. 61 6.1 Climate policy in the EU ................................................................................................... 61 6.1.1 The UK’s influence on development of the EU’s Emissions Trading System ............ 62 6.1.2 The Effort Sharing Decision ...................................................................................... 63 6.1.3 Climate at the centre of European policy priorities ................................................. 63 6.1.4 Climate-related aspects of energy policy ................................................................. 64 6.2 Future policy impacts ....................................................................................................... 65 6.2.1 International negotiations ....................................................................................... 66 6.2.2 Future EU and UK climate policy .............................................................................. 66 6.2.3 Future climate-relevant areas of EU energy policy .................................................. 68 6.2.4 Future of other climate-related policies ................................................................... 69 6.3 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 69 7 Agriculture and the environment ............................................................................ 70 7.1 The policy record ............................................................................................................. 71 7.2 Potential changes to UK agricultural policy post withdrawal and the environmental implications .............................................................................................................................. 73 7.2.1 New Trade Relationships ......................................................................................... 73 7.2.2 New domestic policies .............................................................................................. 74 7.3 What are the environmental impacts of such scenarios? ............................................... 78 7.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 81 8 Fisheries policy ....................................................................................................... 84 8.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 84 8.2 The track record of CFP and the environment ................................................................ 84 8.2.1 Britain and the CFP .................................................................................................. 86 8.3 The effects of leaving the EU on fisheries ....................................................................... 89 8.3.1 Total Allowable Catch (TAC)..................................................................................... 90 8.3.2 Quota allocation ...................................................................................................... 91 8.3.3 Monitoring and control ............................................................................................ 92 8.3.4 Bilateral fisheries agreements ................................................................................. 93 8.3.5 Subsidies and funding .............................................................................................. 93 8.3.6 The Single Market .................................................................................................... 94 8.4 International fisheries management ............................................................................... 94 8.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 95 Conclusions .................................................................................................................