Brussels, 21/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - Things have moved on in the infringement procedure initiated against six EU member states which, despite a first call to order, still do not comply with EU legislation on climate action.
Austria, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden and Slovenia will receive a reasoned opinion (second stage in the procedure) for not having transposed into national law Directive 2009/31/EC on the geological storage of carbon (the so-called CCS directive of the 2009 energy/climate package), which establishes the regulatory framework to encourage environmentally-safe geological storage of CO2. The deadline set for member state notification to the Commission of national transposing measures was 25 June 2011 at the latest.
Failing a satisfactory response to the reasoned opinion within two months, the six member states in question will be taken before the Court of Justice of the EU. The provisions of the CCS directive cover the whole life-cycle of storage sites with a view to ensuring safe permanent carbon capture and storage technology. (AN/transl.jl)