CBI criticises “heavy handed” enforcement of environmental law
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has branded the UK’s environmental law as “badly designed and poorly implemented”.
Both the Environment Agency and DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) are sharply criticised in a new report.
The Environment Agency is accused of being “insufficiently sensitive to the competitive environment in which business operates” and of inconsistent enforcement and DEFRA attacked for a poor record in “implementing EU legislation in a business-friendly fashion, as well as its ability to influence EU policies.”
As an example, the CBI complains that there have been delays in key decisions about the EU Landfill Directive, which comes into force from July 16th, claiming that “even now firms remain uncertain about the disposal and treatment waste.”
The CBI’s deputy director general, John Cridland, said: “Too much environmental regulation is badly designed and poorly implemented. We are not anti-regulation or against rigorous enforcement but we make no apology for complaining about sloppy laws that are implemented poorly and enforced in an ill-considered fashion.”
“Firms are not trying to avoid their environmental responsibilities. They want to comply but they also want the Government to help them do the right thing in a cost-effective way.”
“DEFRA’s review of its sustainable development strategy gives us a great opportunity to take stock and find ways of using regulation more sensibly. We want to work constructively with the Environment Agency and the Government but they have got to start delivering on business concerns.”
Monday’s report follows a recent CBI survey that showed business ranks environmental legislation as the second most significant regulatory concern, behind employment legislation.
It argues that UK companies face higher numbers of inspections than international competitors and warns against a “growing trend” for the Environment Agency to charge firms’ enforcement fees.
The Government is urged to reduce the overall regulation on business, step up their lobbying of EU policy makers to influence legislation, and prepare more effectively when converting EU legislation into UK regulations.
