Environmental law

The European Commission has published its fourth Environmental Implementation Review (EIR), revealing substantial gaps in how Member States are applying EU environmental law.

While some improvements are noted, most countries continue to fall short across key areas including waste management, circular economy, water and air quality, nature protection, and climate adaptation.

According to the Commission, poor implementation of EU environmental legislation costs the European economy around €180 billion each year, mainly through health impacts and environmental degradation.

The report identifies a persistent investment gap of €122 billion annually, with Germany and France alone advised to increase their environmental spending by roughly €20 billion per year to meet EU obligations.

Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall underlined the urgency of acting on the findings, calling implementation a “high-value investment” with major benefits for both environmental protection and economic competitiveness.

The Commission sees improved enforcement as essential to safeguarding Europe’s natural resources and securing a level playing field in the Single Market.

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