Brexit and the environment

Bearing in mind the postponement  of the Brexit "exit day" until 11pm UK time on 31st October 2019 which was agreed between the UK and the EU on 11th April 2019, the torrent of statutory instruments coming out of the UK Government to deal with the implications of Brexit ( particularly a "no deal" Brexit ) seems to have abated somewhat.

A trickle of legislation, nevertheless, continues to flow  and in particular two statutory instruments affecting the environment were enacted in April 2019 - The Heavy Duty Vehicles ( Emissions and Fuel Consumption) ( Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 ( SI 2019/846) ("the HDV Regulations)  and the REACH etc.( Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) ( No.2) Regulations 2019 ( (SI 2019/858) ("the REACH Regulations").

The HDV Regulations come into force on "exit day" and substitute the appropriate UK authorities for the European Commission  as the reporting and enforcement authority for various purposes in the UK relating to Heavy Duty Vehicles.

The REACH ( ie Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulations come into force immediately prior to "exit day" and seek to ensure that transitional provisions to the new UK regime for REACH will cover all imports of chemicals into the UK.

It is all very technical stuff - at least for people not familiar with the areas covered by the legislation - but it does show the thought put in by the UK Government to reach the parts that REACH and other environmental legislation have not so far reached!

More excitement in the Brexit  arena no doubt awaits.