The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 proposes the automatic revoking of all EU-derived laws by end of 2023 unless ministers take action to preserve or replace them beforehand (although it does allow for certain specific extensions if necessary to 2026).
Full details are available on the government website HERE.
This has nothing to do with whether the laws are good or bad. It is simply about whether they are EU derived.
These laws cover a wide range of topics but we are concerned that they include crucial environmental laws such as the Habitat Regulations which protect some of our most vulnerable wildlife and green places across the UK. The laws also defend our clean water, clean air, clean beaches and clean rivers.
The scale of this task is enormous – the UK government will need experts to check every piece of law, decide whether to keep, reform or revoke them. It will tie up civil servants for months at a time, displace any other activity, cost millions and almost certainly will not be completed in time.
Which means at the end of 2023 we could lose many valuable pieces of legislation because there just wasn't enough time to review them.
To be clear, we are not against this Bill in principle: these laws do need to be reviewed and, where appropriate, re-written into UK legislation. No, it is the timescale that is the problem; it is simply unrealistically short!
So what can you do?
We ask you to contact your local MP either by email or as The Wildlife Trusts recommend, by sending a physical postcard. You can choose a postcard from Devon Wildlife Trust’s site or use your own and some suggested wording is available below together with the names and addresses of your local MP’s:
Suggested wording to send to your MP:
“Dear (Your MPs name)
I am writing to ask you to oppose the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 because I believe the proposed sunset date of 31/12/2023 to be unrealistic.
To be clear, I am not against this Bill in principle: these laws do need to be reviewed and, where appropriate, re-written into UK legislation. No, it is the timescale that is the problem; it is simply too short!
I acknowledge that the extension mechanism for the sunset until 2026 for specified pieces of retained EU law gives a degree of flexibility, but it is not clear how, when or even if this will be applied in practice. It seems madness, therefore, that by the end of 2023 we could lose many valuable pieces of legislation because there just wasn't enough time allocated to properly review them.
I fear that the likely reduction in regulation will lead to lower levels of environmental protection resulting in more chemicals on our streets and fields, more sewage in our rivers, more plastics in our oceans and more stress as our greenspaces are destroyed.
Yours sincerely,
(Your Name,)
(Your address)“
Please include your name and address so that they know you live in their constituency.
MP’s can be contacted at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Your MP’s are:-
Tiverton & Honiton Constituency
Richard Foord
[email protected]
East Devon Constituency
Simon Jupp
[email protected]
Yeovil Constituency
Marcus Fysh
[email protected]
West Dorset Constituency
Chris Loder
[email protected]
Full details are available on the government website HERE.
This has nothing to do with whether the laws are good or bad. It is simply about whether they are EU derived.
These laws cover a wide range of topics but we are concerned that they include crucial environmental laws such as the Habitat Regulations which protect some of our most vulnerable wildlife and green places across the UK. The laws also defend our clean water, clean air, clean beaches and clean rivers.
The scale of this task is enormous – the UK government will need experts to check every piece of law, decide whether to keep, reform or revoke them. It will tie up civil servants for months at a time, displace any other activity, cost millions and almost certainly will not be completed in time.
Which means at the end of 2023 we could lose many valuable pieces of legislation because there just wasn't enough time to review them.
To be clear, we are not against this Bill in principle: these laws do need to be reviewed and, where appropriate, re-written into UK legislation. No, it is the timescale that is the problem; it is simply unrealistically short!
So what can you do?
We ask you to contact your local MP either by email or as The Wildlife Trusts recommend, by sending a physical postcard. You can choose a postcard from Devon Wildlife Trust’s site or use your own and some suggested wording is available below together with the names and addresses of your local MP’s:
Suggested wording to send to your MP:
“Dear (Your MPs name)
I am writing to ask you to oppose the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 because I believe the proposed sunset date of 31/12/2023 to be unrealistic.
To be clear, I am not against this Bill in principle: these laws do need to be reviewed and, where appropriate, re-written into UK legislation. No, it is the timescale that is the problem; it is simply too short!
I acknowledge that the extension mechanism for the sunset until 2026 for specified pieces of retained EU law gives a degree of flexibility, but it is not clear how, when or even if this will be applied in practice. It seems madness, therefore, that by the end of 2023 we could lose many valuable pieces of legislation because there just wasn't enough time allocated to properly review them.
I fear that the likely reduction in regulation will lead to lower levels of environmental protection resulting in more chemicals on our streets and fields, more sewage in our rivers, more plastics in our oceans and more stress as our greenspaces are destroyed.
Yours sincerely,
(Your Name,)
(Your address)“
Please include your name and address so that they know you live in their constituency.
MP’s can be contacted at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Your MP’s are:-
Tiverton & Honiton Constituency
Richard Foord
[email protected]
East Devon Constituency
Simon Jupp
[email protected]
Yeovil Constituency
Marcus Fysh
[email protected]
West Dorset Constituency
Chris Loder
[email protected]
