The EU has some of the world’s most advanced environmental legislation. However, the failure to implement it costs the Union economy around €55 billion annually in health and environmental damages. The 2022 Environmental Implementation Review also highlighted compliance with EU environmental law as a key challenge. With the adoption of new legislation under the EU Green Deal, it is vital to reverse this trend and ensure that the laws agreed by the EU legislators are enforced.

The European Commission, as the Guardian of the Treaties, is responsible for ensuring compliance with EU law and for taking infringement action. However, enforcement is slow, often taking decades, and opaque.  Its secrecy makes it impossible for the European Parliament or civil society to effectively monitor it. A new report from the European Court of Auditors reinforces these concerns, emphasizing the need for faster processes.

Join us for this lunchtime event, where we will present key recommendations from both the European Court of Auditors and from civil society on improving the system and increasing transparency for lawmakers and the public. A panel discussion with representatives from the Commission and the Parliament will follow, exploring next steps to ensure EU environmental laws deliver real impact.

Agenda

12:30 Welcome and Introduction

12:35 The European Court of Auditors’ ‘Special report 28/2024: Enforcing EU law’ – Key findings and recommendations, Attila Horvay-Kovacs, European Court of Auditors

12:50 Effective implementation: Transparency in the EU infringement process
– Recommendations from civil society

13:00 Panel discussion

• Attila Horvay-Kovacs, European Court of Auditors
• Lena Schilling, Member of the European Parliament
• René Slootjes, European Commission, Secretariat-General

13:25 Wrapping up

from 13:30 Networking lunch