In November 2025, NI Environment Link (NIEL) welcomed the passing of the NI Assembly motion which called for the establishment of an independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before the end of the current Stormont mandate. NIEL and the eNGO sector has long argued that this is a critical step to reverse the environmental decline in NI.

Max Bryant, CEO of NI Environment Link said:

“The delay is disappointing for our members, and we continue to offer all parties our support to establish an independent EPA for NI and urge them to act at pace and as a matter of urgency. NIEL believes it is neither acceptable nor justifiable to delay the creation of an independent EPA any further. It is time for action, not further prevarication and delay. We call on the Executive to honour their commitment and to display their support for the environment, our communities’ mental and physical wellbeing and the wider NI economy by progressing an independent EPA.” 

Max continued:

“This issue affects everyone. Society here is already paying the price for past inaction – with the Lough Neagh crisis and Mobuoy, Europe’s largest illegal dump being clear examples of how weaknesses in governance comes with a public cost.”

The Independent Review of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland reported in October 2025 and found that there has been a loss of public confidence and trust in the environmental governance system, and a strong desire for action and the establishment of an independent EPA.

The evidence of decline is well documented: poor water quality; devastating biodiversity loss; blue-green algae outbreaks on Lough Neagh and other waterbodies; areas of poor air quality and the scourge of illegal dumping. Environmental damage affects our shared future, with unacceptable costs burdening the environment, economy and society.

We believe an independent EPA is essential to meet Northern Ireland’s environmental targets that are set in law; to enable the restoration of a healthy and thriving environment for all; to remove potential conflicts of interest that arise from having one department act as both regulator and policy maker; and to restore public and industry confidence. This need for an independent body was recognised in the 2025 Independent Review of Environmental Governance as well as by all the main political parties over many years, including in previous Assembly motions, in the New Decade, New Approach 2020, and in the Review of Public Administration 2002-2006.

NIEL has previously called for a focus on the delivery of the recommendations outlined in the Review of Environmental Governance in NI report and to ensure an independent EPA was established, before the end of this Assembly mandate. In December 2025 we wrote to the NI Executive urging them to progress this and other key environmental legislation as a matter of urgency.