The European Commission

Abstract

In the initial phases of EU environmental policy making, the Commission had to work hard to expand EU policy as it lacked an explicit legal basis in the Treaties. Later on, when the legal status had been affrmed, it used its superior technical expertise and emerging policy networks to exert a signifcant infuence on the scope and stringency of EU policies. In the 1990s, its infuence was increasingly constrained by the more assertive roles performed by the European Council and the European Parliament, the increasing diversity amongst EU member states and the rising tide of Euroscepticism. However, two recent developments have strengthened the Commission's capacity to infuence EU policy. First, internal administrative reforms have successfully addressed its internal fragmentation. Second, recent changes in reporting and monitoring have improved its capacity to monitor compliance with EU rules. Nonetheless, a number of signifcant challenges remain, including the improvement of cross-sectoral coordination within the Commission and its limited capacity to enforce the implementation of EU law 'on the ground' in the member states. © 2021 selection and editorial matter, Andrew Jordan and Viviane Gravey. All rights reserved.