Page contentsPage contents The above chart shows the number of infringement cases open at year-end for the period 2017-2021. By clicking on the multi-level chart you can consult, for 2021, the number of infringement cases open at the year-end per policy sector and per type of infringement. Most important infringement cases launched in 2021 Some of the most important ongoing infringement cases in 2021 Most important infringement cases closed without a Court of Justice ruling in 2021 Infringement cases for which a referral to the Court of Justice has been decided in 2021 Infringement cases for which a referral to the Court of Justice has been submitted in 2021 Outlook In 2022, the Commission will continue important enforcement work in the area of the environment. The Commission will continue to focus on ensuring that the EU environmental law is transposed completely and correctly into national law, as well as tackling cases of bad application raising issues of a systematic nature or general failure to comply with EU environmental law. In particular, the work will ensure that: action for unjustified restrictions to the access to justice of citizens and NGOs in environmental matters is enforced; compliance with rulings of the Court of Justice is monitored; new bad application cases regarding the compliance with the standards laid down by the Air quality Directive (Directive 2008/50/EC) will be opened, and enforcement will be pursued, prioritising the most serious cases in terms of levels and extent of pollution; the Natura 2000 network of protected sites under the Habitats and Birds Directives (Council Directive 92/43/EEC and Directive 2009/147/EC) is completed both on land and sea and that these sites are effectively managed, with conservation objectives and measures, including where necessary restoration measures, established for each one; the Member States eliminate or, where this is not possible, minimise the negative impact of human activities on the most threatened species and habitats (e.g. by-catch of marine species or illegal logging of forest habitats) so as to improve their conservation status; the key obligations under the Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 ) are implemented; Member States are making progress as regards meeting the Water Framework Directive’s environmental objectives (Directive 2000/60/EC) and that water bodies are sustainably managed and protected, in particular based on the forthcoming Third River Basin Management Plans; Member States are taking the necessary measures to reduce the risk of adverse consequences from floods; the Waste water treatment Directive (Council Directive 91/271/EEC) is correctly applied to guarantee that urban waste waters are properly collected and treated and that the performance of existing urban treatment plant facilities is satisfactory; the Circular economy package as well as the Single use plastics Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/904 ) are transposed; persistent illegal and substandard landfills are tackled across the EU; Member States notify any exemptions of projects from the assessment procedure under Article 2(4) of Directive 2011/92/EU, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. Important Court of Justice rulings against Member States Commission v Hungary, C-637/18 Commission v United Kingdom, C-664/18 Commission v Germany, C-635/18 Commission v Italy, C-668/19 Commission v Sweden, C-22/20 Important preliminary rulings LB and others, C-826/18 Land Baden-Württemberg, C-619/19 Promociones Oliva Park SL, C-220/19 Föreningen Skydda Skogen and Others, C-473/19 and C-474/19 One Voice and Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux, C-900/19 Federazione nazionale delle imprese elettrotecniche ed elettroniche (Anie) and Others, C-798/18 Friends of the Irish Environment, C-470/19 Granarolo, C-617/19 Magistrat der Stadt Wien (Grand hamster - II), C-357/20 Regione Veneto (Transfert de déchets municipaux en mélange), C-315/20
