Brussels, 22/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - In its monthly infringements package adopted on Thursday 22 March, the European Commission has really attacked the transport sector moving on in a number of previously opened procedures. Finland has been referred to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to correctly transpose the clean vehicles directive and 13 reasoned opinions have been sent to various member states. These states will now have two months to take the necessary measures to comply with EU law. Failure to do so may result in the Commission's referring them to the Court.
Promotion of clean vehicles. The European Commission has decided to refer Finland to the Court of Justice for failing to fully implement a directive on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles (2009/33/EC). So far, Finland has only partially brought its national legislation into line with this directive although it was required to do so by 4 December 2010. The directive has been transposed in mainland Finland but measures concerning the Province of Aland are still missing. In accordance with the Lisbon Treaty, the Commission will ask the Court to impose a daily penalty payment of €13,277.25 until the adoption of all the necessary national measures for complete transposition.
Air transport. The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Poland and Greece for failing fully to transpose the airport charges directive (2009/12/EC), adopted in March 2009. Poland, for instance, still has to put into place consultations on charges between airport users and airports, and requirements on the transparency of information on airports' costs as they relate to airport charges. Greece has nominated a national supervisory authority but still has to transpose most of the operative parts of the directive.
Dangerous goods. Reasoned opinions have been sent to Austria and Portugal for incomplete transposition into national law of the inland transport of dangerous goods (2008/68/EC), when they should have done by 30 June 2011. The Commission believes that failure to comply with the common norms and standards when transporting dangerous goods could compromise safety and, as a result, put citizens and the environment at risk. Furthermore, it states, the rules must be the same in all member states to ensure that the internal market for the transport of dangerous goods functions fairly.
Accidents at sea. The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Belgium, Cyprus and Portugal for their failure to communicate the measures they were taking to transpose Directive 2009/18/EC on the investigation of accidents at sea. The purpose of these investigations, which are separate from any criminal investigations and are carried out by independent bodies, is to establish what has caused the accidents and draw lessons to improve maritime safety in the future. The results of the investigations must be published. The Commission takes the view that by failing to take the necessary measures, Belgium, Cyprus, and Portugal “prevent such arrangements from being set up”. Member states had until 17 June 2011 to incorporate this directive, which is part of the third maritime safety package, into national law.
Flag state obligations. The European Commission has sent reasoned opinions to Austria, Cyprus, Hungary and Luxembourg for their failure to communicate the measures they were taking to transpose the directive on compliance with flag state requirements (2009/21/EC). “Member states which fail to take the necessary measures compromise the quality investigation of their fleet”, the Commission states.
Transportable pressure equipment. The European Commission, by sending a reasoned opinion, has requested Cyprus to adopt national legislation on transportable pressure equipment in accordance with its obligations under EU law. Directive 2010/35/EU on such equipment should have been transposed by 30 June 2011. Cyprus's failure to do so creates safety problems and compromises the creation of a genuine internal market in the transport of such equipment, the Commission notes.
Driving licences. A reasoned opinion has been sent to Luxemburg calling on it to incorporate the directive on driving licences (2006/126/EC) into national law. The Commission states that not implementing this directive could affect road safety and make it difficult for residents of Luxemburg to exchange their driving licences for new ones in other parts of the EU or for other Europeans to exchange their driving licences for Luxemburg licences. (OL/transl.rt)