Minister rules out bonfire of energy regulations

“As near as possible to current arrangements is our top priority,” says Richard Harrington

The energy minister has ruled out a bonfire of energy regulations following the UK’s departure from the EU.

Appearing before the House of Lords energy and environment select committee yesterday Richard Harrington said that the government had no plans “at the moment” to take advantage of Brexit by cutting energy red tape adopted by the UK through its membership of the trading bloc.

“We are trying to give maximum certainty for business by bringing ex-EU regulations into UK law,” he said.

Harrington also emphasised that the government was seeking to retain as close an association with the EU’s internal energy market (IEM) as possible.

He said that the UK is not obliged to quit the IEM because the energy market is not as closely interlinked with the EU as the Euratom nuclear co-operation treaty.

“As near as possible to current arrangements is our top priority,” Harrington said, adding that he hoped that the UK’s future relationship with the IEM could be kept separate from the wider Brexit negotiations.

“We are hoping there will be as little change in this field as possible because it works well.

“Energy is an area where there is a strong alignment of interest because benefits flow to both parties.”

However, the minister said it should be possible for interconnection between the UK and EU energy markets to continue if Britain departs from the IEM, pointing out that the infrastructure had begun to be built before its establishment. “It is possible to have the same relationships irrespective of our membership of the EU.”

He also said that access to skilled labour, such as nuclear specialists, was a “top priority” for the Home Office’s migration advisory committee.

And Harrington expressed confidence that the UK would be able to establish a safeguarding regime if it has to leave Euratom by 2019, with the recruitment of inspectors already under way.