1. The Commission – A sheep in wolf’s clothing..?
Infringements proceedings as a legal tool for the enforcement of EU law on the environment
Presentation at the workshop
Meeting the European Commission and Academia
Brussels 17 June 2016
Professor Jan Darpö
Faculty of Law. Uppsala Universitet
Intro: Research interests: contaminated land, biological diversity and access to justice. Chair of the TF on A2J under the AC…

2. Wolf Controversies
Strict protection under Bern Convention and EUs Habitats Directive…
Re-established in Scandinavia, around 350 animals today, strong conflicts…

3. Swedish Wolf Hunt
2010 & 2011; Licensed hunt, no ENGO standing, LFN from COM
2012; RO from COM = No hunt…
2013; Licensed hunt, but ENGO standing according to Slovak Brown Bear (C-240/09), decision quashed…
2014; Quashed again…

4. Swedish Wolf Hunt
2015; Appeals ban introduced, IP2 from COM on A2J, renewed RO on IP1
Decision on licensed hunt, no action from the COM, appeals but hunt performed…
Decision on licensed hunt, no action from the COM…
HFD in “appeals ban case”, decision quashed, new leg and IP2 withdrawn…

5. Effective use of IP
Dir 96/61/EG (IPPC), Article 5.1 (21 IED); reconsidering & updating…
”2007-regulation”; Information  appropriate measures…
Proposal heavily criticized…  
Little happened, unwillingness, lack of resources…
IP and to CJEU in December 2010…

6. Effective use of IP, tbc…
From 191 to 29 (out of installations)...
Judgement in March 2012 (C-607/10)
New lawsuit in December 2013…
From 29 to 2 (1) installations…
Judgement in December 2014 (C-243/13) =
€ 2,000,000 + daily fines €4,000…
MKN, kväveoxider o partiklar
SNF anmälde 2008
MN beslut i april-09: Trädplanetring, lägre hastigheter, dubbförbud, tung trafik – rådighet
SE fällt i CJEU i maj-11
Lst JO-anmält av SNF samma månad
Lst beslut i juli-11; partiklarna
Sth stad & SNF överklagar…

7. POLITICAL DECISION-MAKING
Weaknesses of IP; 1
POLITICAL DECISION-MAKING
Loss of credibility..!!
Unpredictable; small & big, differences between countries, personal ambitions…
Different areas of EU law; business, telecom, social security, free movement   environment; private actors and national watchdogs   ENGOs…

8. CIRCULAR DECISION-MAKING
Weaknesses of IP; 2
CIRCULAR DECISION-MAKING
SEPA and the courts…
Environmental law and soft instruments…
COM Guidance, LCIE Guidelines…
CIS under WFD, Water Directors…
Guides COM action, never beyond…

9. Weaknesses of IP; 3 LACK OF TRANSPARENCY Mystery making of EU…
Differences between countries, the Nordic doctrine of openness…
Efta and ESA…
Technical or political enforcement..?

10. Lessons to be learned..?
A point of no return when entering the formal stages of IP..?
Consistency, uniformity, consequence, guidelines…
Transparency in the formal stages…
But most importantly…
The urgency of PR proceedings in environmental cases, as illustrated in the SWEDISH WOLF CASE…

11. ….and finally… THANK YOU FOR LISTENING..!    jan.darpo@jur.uu.se
In English