An interim secretariat has been established by the UK Government which will record breaches of environmental law until the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is ready. The OEP will not be functionable in time for Brexit. The interim secretariat is expected to comprise 16 servants and will allegedly function separately from DEFRA. Richard Macrory, lawyer and professor of environmental law, as well as president of UK Environmental Law Association, was appointed to lead the interim watchdog according to a UK media report.
After Brexit the UK will itself hold responsibility for enforcing environmental legislation, which in the EU is one of the core mandates of the European Commission.
ENDS Report article