EU eyes better implementation of environmental law

The European Commission adopted an Environmental Implementation Review to help deliver the benefits of European Union environmental law and policies through better implementation, the Commission said Monday in a statement.

According to the statement, the Commission would address the causes of implementation gaps with member states and find solutions before problems become urgent.

The review package includes 28 country reports which map national strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses; a communication identifying common challenges across countries; and suggested actions for improvements to all member states, said the release.

There were a number of root causes common to several member states, such as ineffective coordination between administrative levels, insufficient capacity, and lack of knowledge and data, it said.

The Commission also said full implementation of EU environment legislation could save the EU economy 50 billion euros (53.56 billion U.S. dollars) every year in health costs and direct costs to the environment. Endit