Failure to comply with European Union (EU) law is one of the main challenges facing the EU. In 2016 infringement procedures rose to a five-year peak. Compliance deficits, that is, failures to adopt EU law standards and requirements, are not a new concern. Since 1984, the European Commission has monitored on an annual basis the performance of Member States in key areas of the application of EU law, and reports on the implementation of EU regulations and directives. The Junck