Brussels, 24/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 24 October, the European Commission decided to launch proceedings at the European Court of Justice against Poland and Slovenia, which have not totally transposed the directives liberalising the electricity (2009/72/EC) and gas (2009/73/EC) markets applicable since March 2011. Warsaw and Ljubljana now face fines of €84,378.24 and €10,287.36 respectively. Commissioner Oettinger, in charge of energy, stated in a press release that, “The completion of the internal energy market is urgently needed to ensure that businesses and households can rely on secure energy supplies at affordable prices (…) Putting in place the correct legal framework in each member state is a precondition for making the internal energy market a tangible reality”. The Commission has said that it will also examine the situation in other member states to which it has sent reasoned opinions for incomplete transposition of the gas and electricity directors. Since June, this will involve Austria, Estonia, Finland, the United Kingdom and Sweden (see EUROPE 10639) and since April, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia (see EUROPE 10603). Further proceedings at the ECJ are expected to follow soon. (MB/trans/fl)