Enforcement proceedings brought by the European Commission against Member States (3): Some critical reflections

Following on from the discussion in the previous two chapters of the legal framework underpinning Arts 226 and 228 EC, this chapter reflects on the broader context and effect of these particular tools of environmental law enforcement at EC level. At a basic level, their importance for EC environmental policy should not be underestimated. As has been noted with good reason elsewhere, the credibility of policy is undermined unless there is due and effective supervision and enforcement of transposition of legally binding EC commitments entered into by the constituent Member States (Demmke, 2003, p 354; Johnson and Corcelle, 1995, p 482; Krämer, 2003, p 377).