UK & EU Environmental Policies Post-Brexit: Towards ‘Rivalrous Emulation’?

As we enter in the second phase of Brexit, the UK and the EU have to decide to what extent their future relationship will be guided by regulatory alignment – or conversely divergence. While divergence may lead the UK to relaxing previous EU rules in some areas, it could also see the UK adopt more ambitious policies.

Interrogating what ‘taking back control’ means in public policy terms, Dr Viviane Gravey explores what the UK and the EU could lose vs. gain by diverging in how they respond to the on-going climate and nature emergencies. Will the UK, a climate leader within the EU, continue to adopt more ambitious policies post-Brexit? And what about areas such as soil protection or air pollution where the UK has opposed (stronger) EU action? How will UK and EU policies diverge in practice – in what areas, and with what consequence for economic actors and international climate targets? How will the UK and EU cooperate at the international level – such as the 2020 Glasgow Climate COP – once the UK leaves?

Please register here: uaces.org/gravey

Programme:

17:30 Paul Tobin in conversation with Viviane Gravey. Chair Ariel Brunner

18:20 Questions and contributions from the floor.

18:50 Concluding remarks.