Trading standards body welcomes Government u-turn on revoking retained EU law

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has welcomed the Government's decision to abandon plans to automatically revoke almost all retained EU law (REUL) at the end of 2023 but added that the bill has "been a major distraction for government departments".

Kemi Badenoch announced last week that the Government plans to remove a sunset clause which would have seen a large swathe of EU law revoked on 31 December 2023.

The Government is still proposing to revoke around 600 EU laws through the Retained EU Law Bill.

Badenoch's announcement also laid out plans to revoke a further 500 pieces of REUL via the Financial Services and Markets Bill and the Procurement Bill.

Although welcoming the move, John Herriman, Chief Executive of CTSI, said: "It is worth remembering how close to the wire this has been, and that the Bill has been both a mammoth undertaking and a major distraction for Government departments at a time when resources could have been allocated to tackling more pressing issues for consumers."

Herriman added: "The focus on Retained EU Law has also potentially created a logjam where progress in other areas, including the long-awaited product safety review has stalled.

"We will now be reviewing the 600 pieces of legislation which are still at risk of being scrapped, to ensure that no vital protections for UK consumers or businesses are lost."

He called on the Government to consult with stakeholders to assess what can be revoked from EU law and what changes need to be made to ensure consumer protection laws are not undermined.

CTSI, along with its 'Safeguarding Our Standards' coalition of charities, and Which? have been campaigning since last year for the Government to delay its proposed Retained EU Law Bill, citing product safety and food safety concerns.

The Chartered Institute and Which? have also tabled a number of amendments to clauses in a bid they say to prevent safety protections from falling through the cracks.

Adam Carey