Government may have failed to comply with marine target laws

THE Environment Department (Defra) may have failed to comply with green laws over plans to restore and protect the UK's seas, a watchdog has warned.

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The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), which aims to hold government and other public authorities to account over its green actions, launched an investigation into whether a key target to protect marine waters by the end of 2020 was met.

The Environment Secretary is under a legal duty to take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain good environment status (GES) in coastal and offshore waters by the statutory deadline.

However, the OEP said the marine environment in England and Northern Ireland remains in a highly degraded state, with evidence pointing to ongoing deterioration.

Alongside the possible failure to meet the 2020 target, the watchdog outlined further possible failures relating to the way in which the Government has sought to claim exceptions from the duty to achieve good environment status in marine waters as well as a suspected failure to publish a lawful programme of measures.