Lack of trust is the biggest barrier to a breakthrough on the
environment and climate change parts of an agreement between
Britain and Brussels, a group of Peers has warned.
And “mixed signals” from ministers such as
potential lower UK food standards risk the “critical impact” of
no free trade agreement for UK companies.
The House of Lords EU Environment
Sub-Committee has urged the government to take account of
the priorities of UK industry, to build trust with the European
Union by strengthening its Environment Bill and to work with
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on approaches to show how
the UK will deliver high environmental
ambitions.
The UK-EU political declaration agreed in
October 2019 included commitments not to reduce environmental and
climate protection and ensure a “level playing field” of common
high standards.
The committee has stressed the benefits
of the level playing field in future relationship negotiations in
a letter to
Environment Secretary , saying that a level playing field would give the UK
a lever to make sure that the EU did not “backslide” on its
climate ambitions and commitments.
, chair
of the EU Environment Sub-Committee,
said:
“The environmental level playing field
still appears to be a stumbling block in
negotiations.
“The UK and EU have similarly ambitious
aspirations so it should be possible to find common ground.
Failure to reach an agreement could have a critical
impact.
“There is room for an agreement
which addresses the EU’s concerns without restricting the UK’s
ability to increase ambition or choose different policies to
achieve the same goals.
“I hope that a way forward is
found.”
Including environment and climate change level
playing field provisions in the UK-EU agreement could also
strengthen the Government’s position in negotiations with other
international partners, according to the
committee.
