The Internal Market Act

The Internal Market Act (IMA) is a post-Brexit piece of legislation designed to regulate markets within the UK nations. However, it can significantly impact environmental legislation across Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland.

Scotland’s deposit return scheme was delayed for a third time and watered down, partially due to the implications of the Internal Market Act. This shows the potential for the Act to undermine environmental legislation, and under the IMA a reduction in environmental standards in one UK nation can hinder the rest of the UK in making positive environmental legislation. The Act was passed by a majority in the UK Government, though Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland did not consent to its introduction.

This page summarizes what we have discovered and why this is important to anyone interested in improving environmental policy-making in the UK.

Find out more in our video series, and the full briefing below:

Latest News

Press Release

Devolution of Environment Policy in Jeopardy, say NGOs

A significant group of environmental organisations from across the UK have today written to the Prime Minister, setting out a series of problems for environmental policy-making caused by the Internal Market Act

News

UK NGOs warn of ‘race to bottom’ on Environmental standards

Environmental organisations from across the UK have today written to the Prime Minister setting out their concerns that the Internal Market Act (IMA), which was passed in 2020 following Brexit, is adversely affecting environmental policy making.

Video Series

We made these videos with Jenni Hume of Reloop, an organisation that works with governments, industry stakeholders and NGOs to transition to a global circular economy.

Part 1: What is the Internal Market Act?

Part 2: How did the IMA come about?

Part 3: What does the IMA mean for the UK’s devolved nations?

Part 4: What does the IMA mean for policymaking?

Part 5: How to IMA exemptions work?

Part 6: Has the IMA already impacted policymaking?

Part 7: What is he difference between the IMA and EU rules?

Part 8: The IMA: Our Conclusion