Capacity Problems as an Obstacle for a Successful EU Environmental Policy

Do the Member States of the EU have the capacities required to live up the EU’s climate and environmental goals? Are there specific forms of capacities which they lack, and how can these be alleviated? These are the overarching research questions this project seek to answer. Today, the EU is one of the world’s most important creators of environmental rules, covering greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution; waste management; biodiversity; and others. However, an alarming problem is that the member states often fail to live up to these rules. By studying legal proceedings where the Commission accuses a Member State for violating environmental rules, we will answer why these violations occur. Specifically, we will identify the different types of capacity problems that states face in implementing EU environmental law.