Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

The Commission and its work

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is an independent standing body established in 1970 to advise the Queen, the Government, Parliament and the public on environmental issues. About the RCEP outlines the Commission's history, how it interprets ‘pollution', how it selects topics for study and how its work is conducted. A new Chair was recently appointed to the RCEP, Sir John Lawton, previously chief executive of NERC, who assumed the chair of the RCEP on 1 April, 2005. In addition, a number of Commission Members have been re-appointed for a further term and several new members have been appointed to the Commission. Two posts on the Commission are currently being advertised on the Defra website.

The Commission's advice is mainly in the form of reports which are the outcome of studies. The Commission announced that it would undertake a study of pesticides and bystander exposure as the next special report in 2004.The Commission also held a pesticides and bystander exposure public meeting at Church House, Great Smith Street, London on Saturday 25 September 2004.The previous Chair of the RCEP, Sir Tom Blundell, continued to oversee the production of the crop spraying and the health of residents and bystanders report during 2005, which was launched on the 22nd September 2005. Former members Professor Brian Hoskins, Professor Roland Clift and Sir Brian Follett also continue to contribute to the drafting of the report during 2005. The RCEP will also make a full response to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) response to this report in due course.

The current study is on the Urban Environment, and the Commission is in the process of collecting evidence for the study, which will then be considered in the autumn. The call for evidence was released on the 24th May. The previous study the environmental effects of marine fisheries was completed in December 2004. The Commission has also undertaken a special report on the use of biomass as an energy source that was completed in May 2004.

The Commission's 24th report, the long-term effects of chemicals in the environment, was launched in June 2003. The Special Report the Environmental Effects of Civil aircraft in Flight was launched on 29 November 2002. Prior to that, the Environmental Planning report was launched in March 2002. In June 2000, the Commission published its report on energy and the environment (Energy - The Changing Environment). The Commission have recently produced (December 2004) a summary booklet of the 21^st report, Setting Environmental Standards, the full report of which was launched in 1998. Occasional news releases or statements are issued on matters the Commission considers specially important or which arise out of its studies.

Commission Members are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. Following the Commission's monthly meetings, the Meeting Minutes are published. A full-time Secretariat supports the Commission's activities - see Contacting us.

Site development is ongoing; check What's new for the latest developments with regards to studies, consultations and news releases.