Office for Environmental Protection
{{Short description|Non-departmental public body in the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name = Office for Environmental Protection
| type = Non-departmental public body
| logo = OfficeForEnvironmentalProtection.png
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| formed = {{Start date|2021|11|17|df=y}}
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| jurisdiction = Government of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland Executive
| status = Active
| headquarters = Worcester, England
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| employees = 74 (2023)
| budget = £12.1million (2022-23)
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| chief1_name = Dame Glenys Stacey
| chief1_position = Chair
| chief2_name = Natalie Prosser
| chief2_position = Chief Executive
| parent_department = DEFRA, DAERA
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| website ={{URL|https://www.theoep.org.uk/}}
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The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is a public oversight body for environmental protection in England and Northern Ireland "to provide independent oversight of the government's environmental progress". It was created as a statutory body by the Environment Act 2021.
The OEP was launched as an interim body in July 2021.{{cite web|title=Interim OEP launched|date=1 July 2021|url=https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/interim-oep-launched/|author=letsrecycle.com}} The first chair is Glenys Stacey, who has called delays in the passage of the bill "extremely disappointing".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000syp4|author=BBC|title=Costing The Earth: The New Environmental Sheriff in Town|date=10 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://deframedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/01/26/environment-bills-next-steps/|author=Defra press office|title=Environment Bill – next steps|date=26 January 2021}} Its first chief executive is Natalie Prosser and its headquarters are in Worcester. Concerns have been raised about potential lack of powers, independence, funding and about freedom of information.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jun/30/alarm-over-plans-to-shield-post-brexit-environment-watchdog-from-scrutiny|date=30 June 2021|author=Sandra Laville|work=The Guardian|title=Alarm over plans to shield post-Brexit environment watchdog from scrutiny}}{{cite web|title='Not yet fit for purpose': Interim Office for Environmental Protection launches, but fears remain over post-Brexit plans|author=
Jo Carnegie|date=1 July 2021|website=BusinessGreen|url=https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4033793/fit-purpose-interim-office-environmental-protection-launches-fears-remain-post-brexit-plans}} The OEP is intended to replace the environmental protection functions of the EU, but a report by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law expressed concerns that the bill as of June 2021 would provide no equivalent legal remedy for breaches.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/environment-watchdog-oep-lords-defra-b1874858.html|author=Harry Cockburn|title=Post-Brexit environmental watchdog must 'have teeth' and be independent from government, Lords warn|website=Independent.co.uk |date=11 June 2020}} The OEP was formally legally constituted on 17 November 2021, and was given an environmental governance role in England in January 2022, and in Northern Ireland in February 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.theoep.org.uk/news/oep-take-environmental-governance-role-northern-ireland|title=OEP take a environmental governance role in Northern Ireland|date=23 March 2022}}
See also
- Environmental Standards Scotland - the equivalent body in Scotland