Policy paper

Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs communiqué: 16 September 2024

Published 27 September 2024

The Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) met on Monday 16 September 2024 in London. 

The meeting was chaired by Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The attending ministers were: 

• (from the UK Government) Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Mary Creagh MP, Minister for Nature and Baroness Hayman, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Defra.
• (from the Scottish Government) Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, and Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
• (from the Welsh Government) Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
• (from the Northern Ireland Executive) Andrew Muir MLA, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

The group agreed to establish stronger intergovernmental relations based on the principles of honesty, trust and respect. To implement this, the ministers discussed and agreed new and ambitious Terms of Reference (Annex A) to guide ways of working and decision-making at ministerial and official levels across EFRA sectors. They agreed to publish the Terms of Reference externally to support transparency and public scrutiny.

The group discussed the critical role nature plays in supporting healthy societies, resilient economies and thriving businesses. All 4 governments agreed there is a shared ambition of rebalancing the demand placed on the goods and services provided by the natural world and to protect its capacity to supply them. 

The Ministers recognised that communities and businesses across the UK are vital to the economy and are the users and protectors of our shared natural resources. The group agreed to collaborate where a natural capital approach can be applied to policy and regulatory actions, while taking into account devolved legislative frameworks governing approaches to sustainability and environment. This will make sure businesses and communities are supported and properly valued in their efforts to improve our food security, enhance our biosecurity, accelerate progress towards net zero, protect nature and increase the UK’s biodiversity. 

The Ministers acknowledged that achieving ambitious outcomes will require concerted, coordinated action at national and local government levels. It will also require closer collaboration with delivery bodies, experts and stakeholders across the UK. Ministers therefore agreed to a programme of enhanced collaboration to enable the 4 governments to achieve more impactful outcomes and make more efficient use of resources and expertise. 

The group discussed several potential areas where enhanced collaboration would be beneficial, including but not limited to:

• enhancing joint scientific research and local field trials to identify solutions that can be applied across wider geographical regions, starting with tackling pollution of culturally and economically important water bodies and sharing respective flood resilience strategies
• reducing waste and pollution, and creating value for businesses and consumers by moving to a circular economy through initiatives such as Deposit Return Schemes introduced across the 4 nations and Extended Producer Responsibility measures
• improving food security and environmental land management by increasing the exchange of data and insights of farming support schemes
• enhancing biosecurity and reducing barriers to trade by resetting our relationship with the EU, including addressing matters arising under the Border Target Operating Model and seeking to negotiate a veterinary/Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU
• halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, by working together on specific domestic policy measures that will support implementation of respective national action plans, contributing to meeting the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework
• scaling up private investment in nature recovery across the EFRA sectors through the development and operation of nature markets frameworks

The group also recognised the importance of working together to tackle bovine TB. The Ministers then considered an update from the Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which comprises officials from each of the 4 governments, and is responsible for monitoring and undertaking analyses of issues affecting agriculture markets across the UK. Key issues discussed included an overview of the prices, production and trade of the main agricultural sectors over the last 18 months, and a review of the issues anticipated to impact on the sectors in the coming months. Ministers discussed the importance of providing sufficient ring-fenced multi-annual funding to support the agriculture, rural and marine sectors across the UK, and to provide them with long-term clarity as soon as possible, noting that the UK Government will consider the funding settlement for future years at the next Spending Review. 

The group then received an update from the Joint Nature and Conservation Committee, which worked with all 4 governments to produce the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). Key parts of the NBSAP have been published in August and the group discussed next steps for its full publication. The group agreed to fulfil a strategic role in the delivery by overseeing the production of the seventh National Report ahead of COP17.

Finally, the group agreed a schedule of meetings for 2024 and 2025 to facilitate engagement and oversee the areas of enhanced collaboration. The next meeting will take place in November. 

Annex A - Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Terms of reference

Purpose

The Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) coordinates engagement and promotes greater collaboration in areas of shared interest between the portfolio ministers leading on these issues within the UK and devolved governments. It oversees all intergovernmental working between the 4 governments operating in the EFRA policy areas and is the formal escalation point when ministerial agreement is required. It operates in line with the fundamental principle that collaborative working will be founded on maintaining positive and constructive relations, based on mutual respect for the responsibilities of the governments and their shared role in the governance of the UK.

The IMG EFRA is part of the wider inter-governmental machinery, which is outlined in the Review of Intergovernmental Relations published in 2022. It sits below the Interministerial Standing Committee (IMSC) and the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council. The IMG EFRA is a multilateral level forum, it complements but does not replace bilateral discussions or other policy-specific engagement. 

Scope

The IMG EFRA operates in line with the devolution settlements and the principles contained in the Review of intergovernmental relations (2022). IMG EFRA can consider both reserved and devolved matters where either has the potential to impact upon another government. Such matters can be tabled for discussion by any portfolio Minister. Similarly, where they relate to the portfolios in scope, IMG EFRA can consider international issues including the UK’s international negotiations and obligations.

Responsibilities

The IMG EFRA will:

• set, direct and oversee delivery of activities agreed in any joint programme, as well as those which arise in the course of the year
• provide strategic level oversight of the development, implementation, operation, review and adjustment of any agreed common frameworks
• ensure that effective governance is in place to support engagement including through knowledge exchange, cooperation and collaboration in areas agreed as being of shared interest
• where appropriate, share information with existing wider intergovernmental forums (outside of the EFRA portfolio), and with external stakeholders if it is agreed to do so
• provide the dispute resolution mechanism for common frameworks and wider EFRA policy, prior to escalation of any disputes to the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee (IMSC) and Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council
• respond to any unforeseen matters, such as civil contingency issues arising from disease outbreak, flooding and global crises, where joint action is agreed as being beneficial and/or necessary

Dispute resolution

The IMG EFRA may act as a forum for the resolution of disagreements between governments where remedies have not been achievable at official level. For this, the IMG EFRA will utilise any established procedures or agree a new procedure if there are none in place, as needed.

IMG EFRA will not normally consider disagreements until they have progressed through the Common Framework dispute resolution and avoidance process agreed by the 4 governments. In other areas, it is expected that every effort will be made to resolve differences at the Intergovernmental Senior Officials Group (ISOG) before escalation to IMG EFRA. There will be proportionate procedures to clarify when Defra is fulfilling its duties for England and for the UK, including during the dispute resolution process.

Communications

Discussions will take place in a confidential setting and will be minuted. A jointly agreed communiqué will be drafted and published on GOV.UK and devolved equivalents. No other information relating to discussions will be shared with third parties unless agreed jointly. Where there is a requirement for Ministers to report to their respective parliaments on intergovernmental relations, governments will act within the spirit of the confidential nature of discussions.

Constitution

Membership of IMG EFRA will include as a minimum one Minister from each of the 4 governments that holds a portfolio relevant to its scope. All members are equal partners in the IMG EFRA. The members are listed in Annex A, based on current Ministerial responsibilities. Junior Ministers with relevant portfolios may also attend should they wish to do so.

There may be occasions when the 4 governments agree to invite Ministers (and/or officials) from other portfolios where it is relevant to the discussion. Any changes to the formal membership or any request to issue standing invites on a regular basis to particular departments will also require the agreement of the 4 governments. Where other departments or agencies join discussions including those intended to resolve a dispute, their role will be consultative and advisory. The 4 governments may jointly agree to invite non-governmental stakeholders such as representatives of industry, experts or NGOs. 

Attendance

Each government will be represented by a Minister or, in exceptional circumstances, a senior official in the absence of a Minister.

Hosting and frequency

The location and dates of meetings are agreed on an annual basis in advance, with the host government rotating. The host nation’s Minister takes the chair. Meetings may take place virtually via an agreed platform, or in the host nation with the option to join virtually. Any costs associated with hosting are borne by the host government.

There will normally be at least 7 and up to 10 meetings per year. Extraordinary meetings may be convened as necessary in exceptional circumstances. Where IMG EFRA meets to resolve a disagreement, it may do so as part of a routine meeting or by convening additional meetings solely for dispute resolution.

Intergovernmental Senior Officials Group for EFRA

The Intergovernmental Senior Officials Group (ISOG) acts as a sherpa group to the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – enabling it to discharge its responsibilities and functions. ISOG is the highest official level intergovernmental forum for EFRA portfolio, overseeing engagement between the 4 governments. It acts as the decision making and dispute resolution forum for EFRA issues ahead of potential escalation to the IMG. 

Secretariat

The Secretariat, comprised of officials from the 4 governments, is responsible for developing the agenda, agreeing dates, locations and logistics (in conjunction with relevant Private Offices), and producing an action log, minutes and draft communiqués for agreement. The secretariat function also rotates and is performed by the host government.

The final agenda will be agreed jointly by ISOG officials in advance. There may be occasions when governments agree to confine discussion to a particular portfolio area. However, ordinarily the agenda should encompass a wide breadth of the EFRA portfolio. The agenda and papers are to be issued at least one week in advance of the meeting unless agreed otherwise.

Minutes and the corresponding action log will be circulated by the secretariat as soon as possible after the meeting, to be agreed by all parties, for internal use only and not for publication. A jointly agreed communiqué will then be agreed by the 4 governments for publication on GOV.UK and devolved equivalents within 2 weeks of the IMG taking place.

Review

The Terms of Reference represent an agreement between member governments and remain in place unless and until the IMG EFRA agree any changes. They will be kept under review and assessed for effectiveness on an annual basis. They will also be reviewed as appropriate in light of any changes to central intergovernmental machinery, and will, if necessary, be amended to align with it. Any changes must be agreed jointly and require consensus. The Terms of Reference will be published on GOV.UK.

Membership of the Inter-Ministerial Group for EFRA

• Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK Government)
• Minister of State at Defra (UK Government)
• Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (Scottish Government)
• Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Scottish Government)
• Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs (Welsh Government)
• Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland Executive)