Environment standards strategic plan goes out to views
The body created to monitor the effectiveness of environmental law in Scotland post-Brexit is seeking views on its draft strategic plan.
Environmental Standard Scotland ("ESS") is a new independent public body, established by the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021. ESS has been given the role of overseeing how the law is working and public authorities’ compliance with it, and preventing enforcement gaps arising from the UK leaving the European Union.
Its draft strategic plan sets out how ESS will work to scrutinise, investigate and secure improvements in public authorities’ compliance with environmental law, the effectiveness of the law, and the way it is being implemented and applied in Scotland.
Based on five guiding principles, including targeting efforts and resources where it can add most value, seeking to resolve issues through agreement where possible, and openness and transparency, the plan sets out ESS's proposed approach to securing compliance, to investigations, to monitoring and evaluation, and to engagement and being a high performing organisation. It further sets out the strategic outcomes ESS intends to see from its work.
Access the consultation here. The closing date for responses is 17 August 2022.