Wednesday

31st May 2023

EU to scrutinise environmental action

  • Oostvaardersplassen, a Natura 2000 in the Netherlands. According to EEB, Natura 2000 sites above all need more manpower and resources to comply with the law. (Photo: Peter Galvin)

The failure of EU states to comply with European environment law comes at the cost of 50 billion euros a year, according to a new report.

The European Commission - the guardian of EU treaties, which has to ensure that member states follow EU law - hopes to upgrade implementation with a new reporting tool.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Under the European Implementation Review (EIR) that was launched on Friday (27 May), the commission will evaluate implementation of the EU environmental acquis and highlight weaknesses and obstacles that prevent rules from working efficiently. The EU executive will also present country-specific recommendations.

”We want to help member states to apply regulation in more efficient way,” a commission spokesman told EUobserver.

He said the system was ”a bit like the economic semester”, the mechanism that monitors and coordinates member states' economic and fiscal policies.

”We will anticipate problems, find solutions, help member states apply EU regulation,” he said.

The review will build on close relations with the Committee of Regions (CoR), an assembly that represents local authorities and cities in Europe.

”The EU has some of the best environmental laws in the world, they are very complete,” Andres Jaadla, a liberal CoR member, told EUobserver.

The problem lies in the execution, he added.

”Local, national authorities are working a bit like railway tracks - they run but never connect,” Jaadla said.

”They collect data but don’t share it with each other.”

He welcomed the initiative and believed it would strengthen coordination.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), an environmental watchdog, also welcomed the proposal but said the real problem to implementing environmental rules lied in a lack of resources.

“This is a useful first step but needs to be followed up with decisive and effective enforcement actions, supported by sufficient resources,” said Pieter de Pous, EEB policy director.

Sometimes laws aren’t implemented because of insufficient resources. The EEB said that the EU nature protection areas - the Natura 2000 sites - first and foremost need more staff to be kept in shape.

Lawsuit as last option

The commission’s proposal comes amid a trend of non-governmental organisations to rely on legal action to ensure the observance of laws.

Those NGOs told EUobserver they couldn't rely on the morality of states to fulfil their obligations.

But the commission spokesman said legal recourse should be the last option.

”We try to avoid infringement procedures. They are time-consuming and costly. We always hope that the member state will apply legislation without having to resort to litigation”, the EU official said.

If a member state lacked good will, however, ”we can always open infringement procedures”, the spokesman added.

The first EIR reports are expected for late 2016, the exercise will be repeated every second year.

End company-car perks, says EU commission

The European Commission tells member states that they should phase out tax breaks for privately used company cars and put in place low-emission zones to improve air quality.

Member states vary in EU 'polluter pays' rules

An EU directive aimed at supporting the "polluter pays principle" has resulted in a patchwork situation, but the European Commission is not yet ready to propose a change.

ECB: eurozone home prices could see 'disorderly' fall

The European Central Bank in its Financial Stability Review warned EU home prices could see a 'disorderly' fall as high mortgage rates are making houses unaffordable for households and unattractive for investors.

EU: national energy price-spike measures should end this year

"If energy prices increase again and support cannot be fully discontinued, targeted policies to support vulnerable households and companies — rather than wide and less effective support policies — will remain crucial," the commission said in its assessment.

Opinion

EU export credits insure decades of fossil-fuel in Mozambique

European governments are phasing out fossil fuels at home, but continuing their financial support for fossil mega-projects abroad. This is despite the EU agreeing last year to decarbonise export credits — insurance on risky non-EU projects provided with public money.

Latest News

  1. Europe's TV union wooing Lavrov for splashy interview
  2. ECB: eurozone home prices could see 'disorderly' fall
  3. Adapting to Southern Europe's 'new normal' — from droughts to floods
  4. Want to stop forced migration from West Africa? Start by banning bottom trawling
  5. Germany unsure if Orbán fit to be 'EU president'
  6. EU Parliament chief given report on MEP abuse 30 weeks before sanction
  7. EU clashes over protection of workers exposed to asbestos
  8. EU to blacklist nine Russians over jailing of dissident

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us