Marcin Sypniewski, a Polish MEP from the Europe of Sovereign Nations group, has asked the European Commission whether changing local government boundaries to avoid environmental impact assessments constitutes circumvention of EU law, and whether the Commission will take enforcement action against member states that allow installations to operate without up-to-date assessments and with limited public participation.
The written question, submitted on 17 April 2026, targets three EU directives: the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (2011/92/EU), the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC), and the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC). Sypniewski alleges that administrative measures such as redrawing municipal borders are being used in several member states to sidestep obligations under these laws, and that some installations have not undergone a full, up-to-date environmental impact assessment for years, while public participation is de facto restricted despite local opposition.
The question contains three concrete asks. First, Sypniewski asks whether the Commission considers the use of administrative boundary changes to avoid EIA obligations as a potential circumvention of EU law requiring EU-level intervention. Second, he asks whether the Commission will take action against a member state when an installation subject to the three directives operates without an up-to-date EIA and with limited public participation. Third, he asks what criteria the Commission applies to determine whether repeated cases constitute a systemic breach justifying infringement proceedings.
Policy orientation: The MEP advocates for stronger enforcement of EU environmental law and tighter scrutiny of member state practices that may weaken environmental protections. He signals concern that administrative reorganisations are being used as a loophole, and pushes for the Commission to treat such practices as a systemic issue rather than isolated cases.
Expected follow-up: The Commission is required to reply within approximately six weeks. Its answer will indicate whether it views the alleged practices as a serious concern warranting infringement proceedings, or whether it considers them a matter for national authorities. The reply will also clarify the legal criteria for systemic breaches and the threshold for EU intervention.