The Implementation of EU Environmental Policy; A Policy Problem without a Political Solution?

Implementation lies at the ‘sharp end’ of the European Union (EU) environmental policy process. The success of the EU's policies must ultimately be judged by the impact they have on the ground, but despite many institutional initiatives, poor implementation remains a fact of life in Europe. In this paper the author investigates why the issue of poor implementation was neglected during the first decade of EU environmental policy, outlines the responsibilities and interests of the main actors involved in putting policies into effect, and discusses possible solutions to the well-publicised ‘gap’ between policy goals and outcomes. Implementation deficits will be difficult to eradicate completely because they serve to maintain the delicate ‘balance’ between governmental and supranational elements in the EU.

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