In the 1970s, eu legislation was not intended that the individual would suffer damage as a result of breaches of the provisions on environmental protection, nor could he take action against public institutions to compensate for such damage. Today the function of checking the effectiveness of Union law in cases of infringement of environmental rules attributable to public authorities or resulting from the incompatibility of internal rules with European environmental objectives, is entrusted to the autonomous and decentralized initiative of private individuals; individuals and environmental associations that act before the national court for the protection of rights that are based on EU environmental law.