The UK Business and Trade Secretary announced Wednesday that the UK will reduce the number of EU laws being revoked or replaced from 4,000 to 600 by the end of the year. Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch says that this is partly due to ‘risks of legal uncertainty,’ but Badenoch reiterates that the government will aim to replace important EU laws through the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) 2022 Bill (REUL). The bill has reached the report stage of the House of Lords but has not yet reached royal assent.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss introduced the REUL Bill following the UK’s departure from the EU, with the intention of removing all EU legislation from the UK by the end of 2023. Badenoch says that while government departments ‘have been working hard to identify retained EU law to preserve, reform or revoke,’ the programme began to focus on ‘reducing legal risk by preserving EU laws rather than prioritising meaningful reform’ due to the large amount of EU law the government identified.

The government instead is tabling an amendment for the Lords report to replace the deadline date with a list of EU retained laws to be revoked by the end of 2023. The government has already changed or replaced 1,000 EU-era laws.

The REUL bill received criticism from the Labour Party and the SNP, who believe that the move puts workers’ rights at risk and gives too much power to government ministers.