Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)

The OEP fills a scrutiny role that was previously performed, for environmental law, by EU institutions before the UK left the EU. Its own website confirms that 'the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) was legally created in November 2021, under the Environment Act 2021', with a core mission of holding government and public authorities to account. Its statutory functions span several stages: it has 'a duty to monitor the implementation of environmental law' and can report on any such matter at any time; it 'can give advice on any changes to environmental law proposed by government'; and it carries out enforcement work aimed at 'identify[ing] and respond[ing] to serious failures to comply with environmental law by government and anyone else carrying out activities of a public nature.'

Members of the public can complain to the OEP: its FAQs explain that 'your complaint must relate to a suspected failure to comply with environmental law', which the Environment Act defines broadly as legislative provisions mainly concerned with environmental protection (excluding devolved provisions in Scotland or Wales, which have their own equivalent watchdog, Environmental Standards Scotland). If the OEP investigates and finds a serious failure, it can ultimately escalate to judicial review-style enforcement action against the public authority concerned.