Enforcement review: report of conclusions
Defra Ministers launched this interdepartmental Review in September 2005. The Review’s conclusions were published in October 2006 and offered evidence-based policy ideas for improving environmental enforcement.
The Review examined enforcement processes for existing regulation. These included the processes followed by the courts and regulators like the Environment Agency and local authorities, and the ways in which the wider community could assist more effective enforcement.
The Review covered all the major environmental regulatory areas, and considered particularly Pollution Prevention and Control, waste, water quality, noise, and wildlife and protected habitats. The review aimed to develop a strategic approach to improving environmental enforcement. The Review worked in two stages:
- gathering evidence to define obstacles to effective environmental enforcement; and
- identifying possible solutions and giving initial thought as to which had the potential to bring the most improvement
The Review put forward ideas for improved enforcement and sanctions that aimed to be tough on serious offenders, but give regulators the flexibility to deal more proportionately and fairly with businesses that try to protect the environment.
Further information about the Review of Enforcement in Environmental Regulation with supporting evidence and analysis can be found on the National Archive website:
- Review of Enforcement in Environmental Regulation report (National Archives website)
Fairer and Better Environmental Enforcement project
In May 2007 Defra launched a new project (Fairer and Better Environmental Enforcement Project) to build on the Review and to develop recommendations for improving the fairness and effectiveness of environmental enforcement.
Page last modified:
6 November 2008
Page published: 22 December 2005