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Call for tougher environmental law enforcement in response to DEFRA review
9 September 2005
Responding to DEFRA's announcement of a major review into how measures to protect the environment are enforced, Friends of the Earth's Director Tony Juniper said:
"We welcome this review but for it to be successful there will need to be real changes in the way the law is enforced. There will also need to be a considerable increase in the capacity of enforcement agencies like the Environment Agency to be able to bring environmental criminals to book.
"We need to see new rules brought in to make companies pay for the actual clean up and repair of environmental damage and new levels of fines that act as a real deterrent to environmental crimes - unlike now when they are seen as a minor inconvenience or a business expense.
"Bringing in robust company law is the only way to make companies take their social and environmental responsibilities seriously. The Government has a real opportunity to do this over the next year as part of the Company Law Reform Bill."
Notes
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The announcement was made by Elliott Morley at a high-profile conference in Sunderland, organised by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) in partnership with Friends of the Earth.
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For more details on Elliot Morley's announcement see:
www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050908b.htm -
Friends of the Earth is calling on the UK Government to take action to make companies responsible for the impact they are having on the environment. The campaign group is calling for tough directors duties to be included in the Company Law Reform Bill being considered by the Government this autumn.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
