Implementation Challenge – Embedding the results in IMPEL’s work programme.

Project description and aims

IMPEL recently carried out a study – ‘Challenges in the practical implementation of EU environmental law and how IMPEL could help overcome them’ – involving a questionnaire survey and desk-based research to identify key implementation challenges faced by environmental authorities in its member countries. This has provided very useful information to help focus IMPEL’s work programmes for the future.

Further work is now needed to elaborate on the more detailed nature of the implementation challenges that have been identified and to investigate cross-cutting issues and themes. This will provide a valuable input to help identify specific priorities for IMPEL’s 5 Expert Teams and to shape IMPEL’s multi-annual strategy for the future.

This work also helps to identify provisional opportunities for improvement of the survey methodology and will serve as an important input in a specific project on this matter to be conducted at a later stage. The methodology will help countries and organizations to recognize trends and developments in barriers against implementation in Member States.

This project aimed to achieve the following:
1. A better understanding of the linkages between the implementation challenges and cross-cutting themes and issues.
2. Greater clarity on the underlying causes of implementation problems and where they are occurring, and how IMPEL can address them through projects and activities in its work programme.
3. A better prioritised and targeted work programme for future years with greater benefits for IMPEL members who participate in the programme.
4. The identification of provisional opportunities for improvement of the survey methodology.

Phase II

A follow up study was executed as further work was needed to elaborate on the more detailed nature of the implementation challenges that have been identified and to investigate cross-cutting issues and themes. This would provide a valuable input to help identify specific priorities for IMPEL’s 5 Expert Teams and to shape IMPEL’s multi-annual strategy for the future.

This work also helped to identify provisional opportunities for improvement of the survey methodology and will serve as an important input in a specific project on this matter to be conducted at a later

Follow-up (2017)

Many discussions have been held about the implementation challenges relating to EU Environment Legislation on a European and MS level. The 7th EAP has highlighted this as one of the key issues to improve across Europe. The European Commission has now worked out individual “Environmental Implementation reviews” for each Member State, in which strengths and weaknesses in environmental implementation on the national and regional level are mapped out. The survey planned as core instrument for this project may also be used by interested Member States to check for facts, reasons and possible remedies for gaps identified in its EIR and may provide additional useful information for national or regional dialogues in this context.

IMPEL will gain additional insight on where and how to best focus its efforts to help improving implementation. By repeating the survey on implementation gaps and possible remedies of 2014, this project may also gather information on trends and developments, contributing as such to the evidence base for policy makers.

The aim is to identify implementation challenges faced by IMPEL Members in 2017 and compare them to information gathered in 2014. Administrations and Member States that apply the questionnaire should gain an overview on their individual implementation challenges and collect ideas and views on possible remedies. IMPEL should use the data and its comparison to data from 2014 to adjust the focus of its work programme on key issues, identify trends and developments and support proliferation of the best remedies against those challenges the network can influence.

Related files/information

• Press Release report launch 2016
• Multi Annual Strategic Programme (2016-2020)
• Press release Implementation Challenge study (2017)