Some problems of post-Brexit legal regulation of environment protection in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The issue of the future legal regulation of environmental protection during the negotiations on the with- drawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union was one of the most controversial. As is well known, the regulation of environmental protection and climate change, as well as the policy of the EU Member States in this area, belong to the so-called joint competence of the EU and the Member States. The EU, through well-developed environmental legislation, is currently regulating such areas of public relations as nature, bio- diversity, waste and waste recycling, and so on. Environmental quality, clean air and water, healthy flora and fauna in modern conditions can only be ensured through cross-border cooperation, and EU legal standards promote the development of new technologies and businesses. Investors in companies involved in renewable energy and clean technologies, as well as waste and recycling, have faced some difficulties in reviewing EU national legislation during the transition period. The formation of new standards, despite the preservation of certain union rules, is gradual. As a result, Britain’s withdrawal from the EU has inevitably affected to some extent all aspects of its environmental policy, as well as the quality of life of Britons. Undoubtedly, the United Kingdom will continue to pursue trade relations with the European Union but may want to lower radical national environmental standards, which in turn will give the country a competitive advantage over the EU. This article examines the legal and political considerations behind Brexit in light of the United Kingdom’s international commitments to the environment, including climate change. The authors argue that deregulation pressure calls into question the realization of the British dream of a «greener» state after Brexit.