Press Release: Internal Market: Commission acts to ensure 16 Member States implement EU laws

The European Commission has decided to pursue infringement procedures against 16 Member States for failure to transpose into national law one or more of six different Internal Market Directives. The Commission will refer Italy to the European Court of Justice over a Directive on institutions providing occupational pensions. The Commission has decided to formally ask 12 Member States – Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden – to implement the Directive on enforcement of intellectual and industrial property. The Commission has also decided to formally ask eight Member States – Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden – to implement one or more Directives on public procurement. These requests take the form of "reasoned opinions", the second stage of the infringement procedure laid down in Article 226 of the EC Treaty. If there is no satisfactory reply within two months, the Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice. Finally the Commission has decided, under Article 228 of the EC Treaty, to send a letter of formal notice asking France for full information on its execution of a European Court judgement concerning implementation of a Directive on professional qualifications.