Author: Nigel Haigh

Nigel Haigh’s paper has been prepared as a contribution to the debate among environmental stakeholders in the UK on the terms of the UK’s departure from, and future relationship with, the EU. It discusses the meaning of the terms ‘single market’ (technically the ‘internal market’, concerning trade within the EU) and how it differs from the ‘customs union’ (dealing also with trade with third countries). Some items of EU environmental legislation are inextricably tied to the single market, others less so. The paper divides EU environmental legislation into five broad headings to clarify their relevance to the single market. It points up problems ahead, and ends with a summary and conclusions.