In Europe, everyone’s prosperity and well-being depend on a clean, healthy, and diverse environment. Only by establishing a common framework will this be possible. Because most pollution does not stop at the country’s borders. It’s also critical to rule out any short-term such as deutsche bahn. competitive advantages that a few companies’ lax environmental standards might provide. As a result, Brussels drafts approximately 80% of German environmental legislation.
The advantages of a European environmental policy that is more unified
- Climate change knows no bounds, and many environmental problems can only be solved through collaboration.
- A healthy environment is important for all EU citizens.
Universally recognized environmental standards
- for a functioning EU internal market that provides businesses in all EU member states with a level playing field
Goals
The 7th Environment Action Program “Living well within the limits of our planet,” which established goals and priorities for the years 2014 to 2020, has served as a guide for European environmental policy development in recent years. Environmental protection and ecological resilience, resource conservation and CO2-poor growth, and reducing risks to human health and welfare associated with pollution, chemicals, and climate change effects are the three areas where the program focuses. The newly elected EU Commission presented its roadmap for a climate-neutral and sustainable Europe in December 2019 with the European Green Deal and the new EU growth strategy.
Environmental situation
The European Environment Agency publishes a detailed report on the state of the environment in Europe every five years, along with policy recommendations based on current trends.
Control
As “guardian of the European Treaties,” the European Commission ensures that EU law is correctly applied and implemented by member states across the EU. The infringement procedure is a useful tool in this regard. If the European Commission believes a member state has broken its obligations under European law, it can start this procedure. In extreme cases, the European Court of Justice has the authority to impose financial sanctions on the Member State in question.
Infringement Procedures
In addition, the European Commission regularly publishes reports on the implementation of environmental policies. It released a communication on the review of EU environmental policy implementation and country-specific reports on April 5, 2019. There are inconsistencies between the obligations imposed by the EU-Right and those imposed by political agreements, as well as actual ground conditions, the most serious implementation problems faced by individual member states from the perspective of the Commission, and potential solutions. In the country report, Germany is praised for having strong environmental policies and legislation, with high recycling rates cited as an example. At the same time, significant challenges such as improving air quality, reducing water pollution, and completing the process of designating areas for the Natura 2000 network are addressed.