Overview
Member States are legally obliged to properly and fully implement EU environmental policy and law. This is essential to protect human health, to preserve a healthy environment and to avoid related unnecessary economic costs. Fully implementing EU environmental laws could save the EU economy around EUR 180 billion every year in health costs and direct costs to the environment.
When EU laws are not properly implemented, the Commission can take legal action. However, to avoid reaching that stage, the Commission first offers technical support to Member States to guide them through implementation. The EIR is a useful tool that presents a snapshot of the implementation shortcomings and the necessary priority actions to redress the issues.
The EIR individual country reports map out the implementation of the key environmental policies in each EU country. They identify causes of implementation gaps as well as solutions that have been successfully implemented. The EIR also aims to assist national decision-makers by outlining the priorities requiring their attention. The EIR process is inclusive and participative, flexible and complements existing work on environmental implementation. It also raises the profile of the shortcomings in implementation and improves the accessibility of information on the implementation gaps for all stakeholders.
Country reports
The Member State reports address all relevant environmental thematic areas. They highlight the main challenges and achievements of each Member State in implementing key EU environmental laws and policies. The reports also suggest priority actions to improve implementation. Member States may choose the most effective ways to implement EU laws and policies as long as they achieve the EU’s common environmental objectives and targets laid down therein.
The environmental thematic areas addressed in the EIR are
- circular economy and waste management
- zero pollution (namely air quality, noise, water quality and management, industrial emissions, industrial accidents, and chemicals)
- biodiversity and nature
- climate action
- governance (namely public participation in environmental decision-making, access to justice, and compliance assurance)
- financing
2025 reports
Read the Communication accompanying the 2025 reports
See the environmental investment needs and gaps for EU Member States
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
Support to Member States
The Commission supports Member States through technical and financial support and, if necessary, with expertise underpinning structural reforms.
TAIEX-EIR PEER 2 PEER tool
The “TAIEX-EIR PEER 2 PEER” tool facilitates learning between environmental authorities. It provides tailored support to national authorities implementing environmental policy and legislation. Through the tool, expert missions, study visits and workshops will receive financial support from the Commission.
Funding for the environment
Financing environmental projects is essential for their success. EU funds contribute to closing the investment gaps in Member States. This Vademecum has been created to assess opportunities and prepare funding and financing strategies that address the environmental objectives of the European Green Deal (EGD). It contains practical references for project promoters, authorities in charge of the implementation of projects in the Member States and other stakeholders.
Find your EU funding programme for the environment - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu).
Technical Support Instrument
The Technical Support Instrument is the EU programme that provides technical support to design and implement reforms in Member States. The support is demand driven and is provided in a wide range of policy areas, including to help implement EU environmental law.
EIR expert group
An expert group comprising of Member States and stakeholders meets twice per year to discuss progress on the Environmental Implementation Review and on greening the European Semester.
EIR country dialogues
A country dialogue is a means of mutual communication between governments and administrations and other stakeholders, including civil society, based on the findings of the EIR. It is for national authorities to make use of this instrument, but the Commission strongly encourages these debates to find solutions to the challenges identified in the EIR reports.
The Commission has published guidelines on organizing EIR dialogues.
Environmental infringements map and dashboard
Infringements of environmental law account for the largest number of cases dealt with by the European Commission - about 20% of the total. To complement and accompany the Environmental Implementation Review, an interactive map on pending environmental infringement cases is now available.
Contact
For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.
