Description
The EU Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) is an international non-profit association established by the Member States and the EEA countries. IMPEL was established in 1992 and it is located in Brussels, Belgium.
The main objective of the network is to enhance the effective implementation of environmental legislation. To this aim, IMPEL promotes exchange of information and experience on the development of environmental legislation among the Member States. The main result of the IMPEL network is the mentioning in several EU legislative tools (action programmes and recommendations) of its activities such as capacity building, criteria for environmental inspections, common views on legislation enforcement and so on.
IMPEL core objectives are listed below:
� promote the exchange of information and experience between national, regional or local authorities competent for the implementation and enforcement of EC environmental law in the broadest sense, e.g. ministries, regulators, agencies and inspectorates, hereinafter called Environmental Authorities;
� promote the development of national networks of Environmental Authorities with special concern for the cooperation between these authorities at all government levels;
� promote mutual understanding of the common characteristics and differences of national regulatory systems;
� carry out joint enforcement projects;
� support, encourage and facilitate capacity building and training of inspectors and enforcers;
� identify and develop good and, whenever possible, best practices, produce guidance, tools and common standards and actively contribute to further improvements as regards inspection, permitting, monitoring, reporting and enforcement of EC environmental law;
� develop a greater consistency of approach, as appropriate, in the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of EC environmental law in the countries applying this law;
� provide feedback on better legislation issues with regard to practicability and enforceability and provide advice on the practicability and enforceability of new and existing EC environmental law to the European Commission and other EU Institutions, gathering information on experience of implementing and enforcing this law, from the practitioners� point of view;
� explore the use of innovative regulatory and non-regulatory instruments as alternatives for or complementary to existing regulation