WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH EU LAWS WE HAVE BEEN USING FOR COMPLIANCE UNTIL NOW?
Essentially, for the foreseeable future at least; Health & Safety and Environmental and Employment laws will not significantly change. This is because our excellent UK Laws actually led the EU in its compliance Law-making in most of these areas. There are approximately 2,417 pieces of retained EU law of which only 58 relate to Health and Safety; although a larger amount 588 apply to the Environment. 337 relate to policy area of Business, Energy and Industrial workers rights but this is also unlikely to change because of its complexity.
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act is a UK Act that will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 to use EU law as a dominant principle. The 2018 European Union (Withdrawal) Act gave the UK, legal authority to keep UK legislation that was derived from European legislation and case law or where it chooses, it can change or keep or remove EU sections of legislation to suit its Legal compliance requirements.
Although the Act has potential for significant changes to UK employment law, it is unlikely to need to because the UK has a long-standing history of providing enhanced Health, Safety, Environmental, and Personnel employment protections compared to other countries and also led areas of compliance legislation origination so we can expect to see most of the principles of compliance remain in place.
Included in the Act is a ‘sunset clause’ that gives a maximum latest date for this to happen. All UK legislation that is derived from the UK’s relationship with the EU from over the last forty years will automatically cease to be law at 31 December 2023 unless the Government decides individual cases for amendment or reaffirmation but it cannot be later than 23 June 2026.
To put Health, safety and environmental compliance into perspective, there are approximately 2,417 pieces of retained EU law.
- 58 relate to Health and Safety,
- 588 to the environment,
- 493 relating to agriculture, etc.
- In the 337policy area of Business, Energy and Industrial workers rights there are pieces of retained EU law operating in the UK