The Open Method of Coordination has so far mostly been applied in areas in which the EU has weak legislative competencies. Recently, however, several OMC-type mechanisms have emerged in the environmental field, where the EU has a significant legislative role. In this article, Ingmar von Homeyer discusses two environmental OMCs: the environmental dimension of the Lisbon Strategy and the Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive.

The analysis suggests that the OMC is a highly flexible and context dependent instrument. If implemented adequately, it may effectively complement EU environmental legislation.

The article is published in the journal European Spatial Research and Policy.