Dr Mary Dobbs: Brexit and the rise of incoherency?

Wednesday 2 October 14:30-16:00. LH218, Lord Hope Building, University of Strathclyde

This event is free but please register at Eventbrite.

Abstract

Currently, the environment within the UK is regulated by a highly complex system of multilevel governance, with powers and roles shared across the levels. This is primarily due to the operation of both shared competence between the EU and its Member States and devolution internally within the UK – with most but not all areas of environmental protection covered by these concepts.

This seminar examines the impact of Brexit on environmental governance across the UK and on the island of Ireland – focusing on the the mantra of ‘taking back control’ and the impact thereof. It considers the shifting patterns of powers across regulatory spaces in light of the work of authors such as Chowdhury and Wessel; and Marks and Hooghe. The seminar outlines the lack of clarity regarding where powers relevant to environmental governance will revert post-Brexit. It also considers the likelihood of increasing regulatory divergence within the UK and between Ireland and Northern Ireland and a change in mechanisms addressing the relationship and potential joint action or conflicts between these jurisdictions.
Consequently, it argues that there is a shift from a complex, yet relatively coherent, system in the context of the EU to one of increasing complexity, gaps, conflicts and incoherency post-Brexit. Together, these make effective cross-border environmental governance much more challenging, may undermine individual efforts within each jurisdiction or simply enable a lowering of standards, and highlight the risks of fragmentation in a system of multilevel regulation or governance. Brief mention will also be made of the risks of centralisation where ambitions are lowered.

About Dr Mary Dobbs

Dr Mary Dobbs is a lecturer at the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast. 

Dr Dobbs' main research interests lie in the areas of environmental law & governance, agriculture and genetically modified crops. Regarding environmental law more generally, she has engaged in particular with the precautionary principle and currently she is considering the impact of Brexit on environmental and agri-environmental issues within Northern Ireland and the UK. She has provided written and oral evidence to various Brexit Inquiries on trade/agriculture/food/the environment and she has also engaged with environmental NGOs on environmental governance post Brexit. Her ongoing research is drawing these strands together and looking at issues relating to agri-sustainabilty. 

For more information visit: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/mary-dobbs(f0078cbe-8b06-4a4a-915a-21ec2340910a).html

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