Government should take business-like approach to planning

The report, Environmental Regulation: getting the message across, was produced by the Better Regulation Task Force, an independent advisory group that reports to the Cabinet Office and is chaired by David Arculus of Severn Trent plc.

The BRTF report looked at the government's implementation of the End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. It called for more transparency in the way the government develops and implements environmental legislation in European Directives. Ministers have been ordered by the Prime Minister to respond to the report within 60 days of its launch today.

Janet Russell, the project leader for this report, said: “During our research, we came across widespread concern and uncertainty about what investment and logistic systems are needed by business and local government. Even at this stage in implementation of the Directives, people still don't know exactly what they are meant to do, or when. Much of the infrastructure is not in place. The clock is ticking.”

The report made the following recommendations to the government:

1. When launching new legislation, the government should publish a very short summary of its objectives. The government should publish a summary for both the WEEE and ELV directives in response to this report.
2. The government should draw on the advice of outside experts in formulating waste policy.
3. The government should produce project plans when introducing new legislation, setting out what will happen when. This should happen for WEEE and ELV implementation as soon as possible.
4. The government should publish an analysis of progress being made by other European Member States in implementing the WEEE and ELV Directives.
5. The DTI, DEFRA and the Environment Agency should establish a single website containing all the information relating to the WEEE and ELV Directives.
6. The government should publish its strategy for communicating to the public on the introduction of ELV and WEEE regulations.
7. The government should allow the Environment Agency sufficient resources to enforce the ELV and WEEE regulations.
8. The government should publish readily accessible forward plans for waste and environmental legislation, regularly updated, showing the stages of development and when stakeholder inputs are required.
9. DEFRA's regulatory taskforce should consider how DEFRA can exert more influence on policy in Europe.

Ms Russell, who is also director of environment and transport at Kirklees metropolitan borough council, explained: “The government needs to be clear about what it is trying to achieve; who is responsible for what; being open about when decisions will be made; ensure the waste industry knows the standards it needs to work to and take a fresh look at how it communicates with its customers.”

The BRTF believes that if the government follows the recommendations in its report, another “fridge fiasco” would be prevented in regard to end of life vehicles and waste electronics.

Ms Russell said: “If the government gets it right, we will all benefit. These Directives present an opportunity for both the economy and a cleaner environment. The environment will benefit from 'greener' products designed with recycling in mind. The economy will benefit from the significant business opportunity the Directives bring for entrepreneurs wishing to rise to this new recycling challenge.

“But, until businesses know clearly the timeframe and implications, they will not be able to respond to the opportunity,” she added.