Office for Environmental Protection

Office for Environmental Protection

Non-departmental public body overview
Formed	17 November 2021 (2021-11-17)
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland Executive
Status	Active
Headquarters	Worcester, England
Employees	74 (2023)
Annual budget	£12.1million (2022-23)
Non-departmental public body executives	Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair Natalie Prosser, Chief Executive
Parent department	DEFRA, DAERA
Website	www.theoep.org.uk
Footnotes
[1]

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is a regulatory body for environmental protection in England and Northern Ireland[1] "to provide independent oversight of the government's environmental progress". It was created as a statutory body by the Environment Act 2021.

The OEP was launched as an interim body in July 2021.[2][3] The first chair is Glenys Stacey, who has called delays in the passage of the bill "extremely disappointing".[4][5] Its first chief executive is Natalie Prosser and its headquarters are in Worcester. Concerns have been raised about potential lack of powers, independence, funding and about freedom of information.[6][3] The OEP is intended to replace the environmental protection functions of the EU, but a report by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law expressed concerns that the bill as of June 2021 would provide no equivalent legal remedy for breaches.[7] The OEP was formally legally constituted on 17 November 2021,[1] and was given an environmental governance role in England in January 2022,[1] and in Northern Ireland in February 2022.[8]

See also

• Environmental Standards Scotland - the equivalent body in Scotland

References

1. "Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31st March 2023" (PDF). Office for Environmental Protection. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
2. letsrecycle.com (1 July 2021). "Interim OEP launched".
3. Jo Carnegie (1 July 2021). "'Not yet fit for purpose': Interim Office for Environmental Protection launches, but fears remain over post-Brexit plans". BusinessGreen.
4. BBC (10 March 2021). "Costing The Earth: The New Environmental Sheriff in Town".
5. Defra press office (26 January 2021). "Environment Bill – next steps".
6. Sandra Laville (30 June 2021). "Alarm over plans to shield post-Brexit environment watchdog from scrutiny". The Guardian.
7. Harry Cockburn (11 June 2020). "Post-Brexit environmental watchdog must 'have teeth' and be independent from government, Lords warn". Independent.co.uk.
8. "OEP take a environmental governance role in Northern Ireland". 23 March 2022.