The Environmental Implementation Review (EIR) describes EU legislation implementation in key environmental policy areas such as circular economy, conservation of biodiversity, water resources management, air pollution control, chemicals management and climate change policy. It also addresses issues of financing implementation and environmental governance. The Review, finally, lists priority actions for better environmental implementation in the main environmental areas in relevant Member States where improvement of implementation is considered necessary.

Based on the 27 individual country reports , the EIR concludes for the policy area of circular economy that, while most Member States have national circular economy strategies and action plans in place, there are considerable differences between Member States’ resource productivity rates and circular material use rates. More action is needed to improve the recyclability potential of plastics, construction materials and textiles. Waste prevention remains an important challenge in all Member States, and in some countries substandard landfills still need to be tackled.

Air pollution is still a major health concern for Europeans. Member States need to fulfil air quality monitoring requirements in a systematic and consistent manner in order to better enforce clean air at national and EU level. Achieving compliance requires strict measures, notably switching to sustainable mobility powered by renewables, and introducing low-emission agricultural techniques, including for livestock, manure and fertiliser management.

With regard to water, the Review concludes that progress towards achieving good status for water bodies is slow, and some Member States are late with the adoption of key measures, notably River Basin Management Plans, flood risk management, implementing rules for drinking water, implementation of EU rules on nitrate and urban wastewater treatment.

Biodiversity in the EU continues to decline. Some of the habitats rated as in the poorest condition across the EU are semi-natural grasslands, bogs, mires and ferns. Forests are under enormous pressure and most Member States still need to speed up efforts to complete their Natura 2000 networks.

Overall, there is a good level of implementation of climate legislation throughout the EU; it is now important to agree and implement the package of measures to meet the -55% target established in the Climate Law for 2030. However, adaptation efforts in each Member State and at EU level need to be intensified to cope with the harsh reality of increasing climate impacts.

More financing is available to cover investment needs across the environmental objectives and priorities. Investment needs in the EU to meet the environmental objectives stand at €110 billion per year. Almost two thirds of the environmental investment gap relates to tackling general pollution and protecting and managing water bodies.

Member States need to strengthen environmental governance through adapting and reinforcing administrative capacity and ensuring effective access to justice at national levels. There is still room for most Member States to improve the public’s access to courts in order to challenge decisions, acts or omissions, particularly in the areas of planning relating to water, nature and/or air quality, and through better information about access to justice rights.

To enhance transparency and access to information on our enforcement action in the environmental field, an environmental infringements interactive map now displays information on pending cases in a more user-friendly way. It should contribute to enhancing transparency around Commission enforcement efforts, thus driving public awareness of what is being done at EU level to protect EU citizens.

More information:

• EIR 2022 Press Release
• Q&A on the Environmental Implementation Review
• Main EIR report
• Country reports
• Country factsheets
• Interactive EU environmental infringement cases map
• Video on 2022 EIR
• EIR webpage