Environment Secretary and energy experts face peers’ questions on UK-EU deal
Tuesday 2 February 2021
How does the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement benefit Britain’s environment and its food and fishing industries?
That is one of the likely questions for Environment Secretary George Eustice when the House of Lords EU Environment Sub-Committee continues its latest inquiry - Future UK-EU relations: energy, environment and health – with questions to the minister and energy industry representatives and experts tomorrow (Wednesday 3 February from 9.45 a.m.).
The sub-committee will hear from:
At 9.45 a.m.
- Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive, Energy UK
- Paul Dawson, Board Member, European Federation of Energy Traders
- Matt Hinde, Head of EU Affairs, National Grid
- Josh Burke, Senior Policy Fellow, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Likely questions and topics for discussion include:
- What are the implications of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement for the UK’s security of energy supply, costs for consumers, and decarbonisation?
- Are there ways that the Government can provide the certainty required to invest in energy infrastructure?
- What should the Government’s priorities be in any negotiations with the EU on linking emissions trading systems?
- Are the channels for technical cooperation with the EU on energy sufficient and does the Agreement allow for the future development of UK energy and climate policy?
At 11:00 a.m.
- Rt Hon George Eustice, Secretary of State, Defra
- Dr Sarah Swash, Deputy Director of Environmental Regulations, Defra
- Mark Thompson, Deputy Director, EU Strategy and Negotiations, Defra
Other possible questions for the minister include:
- What are your ambitions for the UK fishing industry after the five year adjustment period?
- When do you expect to see fish exports from the UK flowing freely to the EU again?
- What steps are you taking to ensure a continued supply of food from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the grace periods?
- How will the Government ensure that new domestic policy measures don’t fall foul of the environment and climate non-regression provision?
The evidence session will be live on Parliament TV.