The Compliance Problem in the European Union1

The European Union has an implementation “deficit”. The measures adopted by the EU are not always applied – or are not applied correctly – by all Member States. This is a serious problem. If a culture of compliance is to be fostered in the EU, Member States would need to learn from the experience of those Member States that appear to be more successful at complying with EU rules. At the same time they should learn about the “typical” mistakes made by Member States so as to avoid them. The Commission is naturally placed to identify both “good” and “bad” practices and promote “best” practices.