What is the UK government's proposed planning bill?

The UK government has proposed a planning and infrastructure bill that aims to boost economic growth by removing EU-derived environmental protections.

How does the EU view the UK's planning bill?

The EU has warned the UK that the bill, which allows developers to build on wildlife areas, could jeopardize the UK's free trade agreement with the EU by undermining the "level playing field" rules.

What is the potential impact of the UK's planning bill on the UK-EU trade deal?

The EU has warned that the bill could threaten the UK's access to the EU's energy markets, which the UK heavily relies on, importing 16% of its electricity from Europe. The UK government estimates the trade deal will add £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.

Home / Environment / EU Warns UK: Weakening Environmental Protections Could Jeopardize Trade Deal

EU Warns UK: Weakening Environmental Protections Could Jeopardize Trade Deal

29 Oct

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Summary

EU ambassador warns UK's planning bill could risk free trade agreement
Bill removes EU-derived nature protections to boost economic growth
EU says bill's provisions undermine "level playing field" rules of trade deal

EU Warns UK: Weakening Environmental Protections Could Jeopardize Trade Deal

According to the article, the EU has expressed serious concerns about the UK government's proposed planning and infrastructure bill, which aims to boost economic growth by removing EU-derived environmental protections. The EU's ambassador to the UK, Pedro Serrano, recently visited the environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, to warn that the bill could jeopardize the UK's free trade agreement with the EU.

The EU believes the bill's provisions, which allow developers to build on wildlife areas if they pay into a "nature recovery fund," undermine the "level playing field" rules that are a core part of the UK-EU trade deal. These rules state that the UK cannot regress on its environmental regulations in a way that would give it a competitive advantage over the EU. The EU argues the bill does exactly that.