Brussels, 22/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - Like 15 other member states in 2012, Lithuania is failing to transpose the EU electricity and gas liberalisation directives that date back to 2009.
On Thursday 21 February 2013, the European Commission sent Lithuania a reasoned opinion (warning letter) for failing to fully transpose the electricity and gas liberalisation directives of 2009, which lay down rules for unbundling the business of energy companies and ensuring the independence of regulatory bodies and which were due to be transposed into domestic law by 3 March 2011. Lithuania now has two months to respond, or risk being sent to the European Court of Justice.
In 2012, the Commission sent a reasoned opinion for failure to transpose one or both of the directives to 15 member states (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Austria, Poland, Ireland and Slovenia). Poland, Finland, Slovenia, the UK, Bulgaria and Estonia were then referred to the European Court of Justice. The infringement proceedings against Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria were lifted. (EH/transl.fl)