If the UK leaves the EU without a Brexit deal in place, the country would become a dumping ground for chemicals that have been banned in Europe.
This is according to a new report from environmental coalition Greener UK, warning that such an outcome would have devastating consequences for our environment, with our ability to tackle climate change affected, bird populations threatened and environmental standards weakened because of a drop in farming regulations introducing cheap overseas imports, the Independent reports.
The coalition, which includes Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and WWF, said that our environment could be jeopardised by weakened cooperation with Europe, loss of access to important EU agencies and barriers to trade.
In the speculative report, it was suggested that Britain would not likely be capable of copying the European database, which took ten years to put together and covers some 21,000 chemicals. As we therefore work to catch up with the EU, it’s possible that the country could be flooded by products that contain harmful chemicals, such as substances linked to harming pregnant women and poisoning aquatic animals.
Chief executive of Friends of the Earth Craig Bennett said: “As the economy suffers, the same politicians that argued for Brexit would then also start arguing for further deregulation to ‘get the economy moving’ and any pretence of Brexit Britain as a green and pleasant land would quickly disappear in a puff of toxic smoke.”
Earlier this year, the Confederation of British Industry called on the government to ensure that the UK follows the regulations of certain EU organisations, such as the European Chemicals Agency, so as to maintain its global influence and protect the economy.
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