The report from the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR), published this week (16 June) makes recommendations to Boris Johnson, about how the UK should “seize opportunities” created by Brexit, and replace the “slow and bureaucratic” EU processes.
ESA’s head of regulation Sam Corp said: “The recommendations in the report are wide-ranging but, importantly, the overarching recommendation is for a ‘proportionality principle’ to ensure that the design and implementation of regulations, including their cost, is proportionate with the level of risk, and based on outcomes.
“The ESA looks forward to working with government and regulators to help turn these recommendations into reality.”
Report
The TIGRR sets out two specific recommendations based on environmental regulations, that were previously suggested by the ESA during an evidence gathering stage for the report.
It firstly reflects ESA’s views that the “lack of regulatory certainty” over landfill surrender requirements is tying up resources and preventing diversion from landfill.
And, it argued that this “hazard-based approach” is so restrictive that it is “discouraging any meaningful progress” towards surrender for non-hazardous sites.
The report also advocates for adopting a risk-based approach to waste regulation to drive “greater re-use of waste products.
It urges for “greater flexibility” which continues to deliver on environmental and safety objectives but also adopts a more risk-based approach to how the re-use of waste is regulated and managed.
Specifically, it highlights the need to accelerate existing work to better enable the reuse of incinerator bottom ash and waste wood.
The report was composed after the Prime Minister asked the Taskforce to identify and develop proposals across a range of areas that will “drive innovation, growth and competitiveness through regulatory reform”.
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