With regard to the breadth of the EU’s legislative arsenal in the area of competence of the European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI – Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety), the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union will have notable repercussions on files as sensitive as the implementation of the EU’s climate goals before and after 2020, GMOs, the cloning of animals for food purposes, the financing and provision of human resources for relevant European agencies (Environment, Medicines, Chemicals, Food Safety) or the future location of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is currently situated in London (see EUROPE 11639).
This non-exhaustive list is proportional to the 2,000 legislative acts currently in force and to those being examined, most of which contribute to the smooth operation of the single market or to the fulfilment of international commitments. It gives an idea of the concerns raised by the Parliament’s ENVI committee in an introductory note analysing the potential consequences of Brexit – a note which will be used to contribute to the overview being prepared by the European Parliament.
Uncertainty on climate. The outlook on Brexit is a major factor of uncertainty for the legislative files currently on the negotiating table regarding implementation of the Paris Agreement, like the division of effort in sectors outside ETS, the reform of the ETS for the fourth period of trading (2021-2030) and the adaptation of ETS legislation to the global agreement on a market measure to be finalised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). These three files will have to be finalised well before the effective departure of the UK from the EU.
More will need to be explored on the possible options for the EU27 to respect the EU goals for 2020 and 2030 – goals thus far based on the national contributions of the 28 member states – but also to plan the modalities for the joint fulfilment of the goals by the EU and UK. It will also have to be seen under what conditions, and how, the UK could possibly continue participating in the ETS after 2020.
A boon for unblocking the file on animal cloning for food. Countless transitional measures could prove necessary before the UK's departure from the EU, especially on the reimbursement of health care from the UK to another member state (and vice versa), GMOs, health claims, and food from the cloning of farm animals – a file currently blocked at the Council that might finally be unblocked (see EUROPE 11384). It is indeed the UK which, until now, has led the charge against the total ban of this practice.
Transitional measures could also be needed for the control of borders for products imported from the UK, in line with the new EU regulation on strengthening official controls throughout the agri-food chain, which should enter into force in the first quarter of 2017 in order to be applicable in 2020 (see EUROPE 11715).
While the move of the EMA attracts excitement from future candidates wanting to host it, the ENVI committee MEPs underline the need to anticipate the costs of this relocation and the reduction to the EMA's budget. The conditions for the UK's possible participation in the EMA post Brexit could also be envisaged.
See: http://bit.ly/2kdAcyJ (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)