No other European laws are so frequently violated as environmental directives. Focusing in particular on Spain and Germany, this informative and illuminating volume explains why member states have repeatedly failed to comply with European Environmental Law and challenges the assumption that non-compliance is merely a southern problem.

Contents: Introduction. Is There a 'Southern Problem'?: Non-compliance in the European Union: pathology or statistical artefact?; Exploring the 'Southern Problem.' Why There is (Not) a 'Southern Problem': The diagnosis is the 'Mediterranean Syndrome'; Beyond the 'Mediterranean Syndrome'; Pressure from below and from above: the pull-and-push model; Reformulating the 'Southern Problem': high policy misfit and low domestic mobilization. Implementing EU Environmental Policies in Germany and Spain: Selecting the cases: high policy misfit and differing degrees of domestic mobilization; Measuring effective implementation and compliance; Environmental policy-making in Germany and Spain; Drinking water: Spanish fit and German misfit?; Air pollution control: Spanish misfit and German fit; Environmental impact assessment: misfit in Spain and Germany; Access to information: misfit in Spain and Germany; Eco-audit management: misfit in Spain and Germany. Conclusions: Challenging the 'Southern Problem'; Explaining compliance with law beyond the nation state: pressure from below and above; Making European law work: increasing pull and push; Facing the challenge of enlargement: towards flexibility; Bibliography; Index.

’This book is a must for all interested in the implementation of European legislation. In linking systematic theoretical deductive reasoning with empirical richness, Tanja A. Börzel comes up with brilliant and surprising insights.’ Adrienne Héritier, European University Institute, Italy '"Environmental leaders and laggards" is an important contribution to our analytical understanding of differential compliance across the European Union as well as our knowledge of environmental protection in Germany and Spain. Borzel's in-depth research challenges long-held views about the "North-South" divide in environmental policy and in doing so identifies common "European" dynamics which help clarify the contemporary state of environmental protection in the European Union.' Professor Alberta M. Sbragia, UCIS Research Professor of Political Science and Director of the European Union Center and the Center for West European Studies , University of Pittsburgh, USA 'The book is highly recommended to scholars of environmental politics and EU governance. They will find original comparative data on member-state compliance performance and a wealth of empirical material related to the implementation of EU environmental laws in two of the EU's biggest member states.' Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 'The author gives a general picture of the Environmental Laws and compliance problems across the European Union as well as making a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate in the field of EU environmental policy by comparing Germany and Spain.' The European Legacy '...supported by a rigorous, detailed and well-researched comparative case study...the research...presents a rich and complex picture of the two countries...the book is undoubtedly of value because it attempts to offer an alternative explanation for an important political problem...In doing so, it presents rich and detailed empirical material based on interviews and field research.' South Europea