Policy implementation

The EU policy-making process does not end with the fnalisation and adoption of EU legislation. In order to have a measurable impact on environmental quality, EU policies must also be implemented by member states, businesses and civil society. However, implementation remains the 'Achilles heel' of EU policy, contributing to the maintenance of diverse environmental outcomes on the ground in the member states. Thus, while some member states fail to comply with EU environmental rules, others implement more ambitious policies than the EU formally requires. The EU has been and remains active in seeking to remedy implementation problems. Follow-up enforcement by EU institutions is generally effective, but it is often very slow. Nonetheless, non-compliance with EU environmental law remains a problem and causes considerable health-related and environmental costs. In tackling it, member state capacity, domestic politics and civil society play an important role.