Implementing EC environmental law. Compliance promotion and enforcement by the European Commission

It is widely acknowledged that only by ensuring the correct implementation of European environmental law will it be possible to achieve the EU's ambitious environmental objectives. Implementation has therefore become a strategic priority for the European Commission in recent years. This article presents a short overview of the main challenges in implementing EC environmental law and the Commission's compliance promotion and legal enforcement activities in this field. It deals with the Commission's priority-setting for its legal enforcement actions and presents briefly recent developments and new approaches in the Commission's complaints and infringements handling.