Brussels, 25/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 25 September, the European Commission sent reasoned opinions to Belgium, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia over their incomplete transposition international law of the directive 2009/119/EC on oil stocks. This directive requires member states to hold a minimum level of stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products equivalent to at least 90 days of average daily net imports or 61 days of average daily inland consumption, whichever is the higher. The text was to have been transposed by 31 December 2012.
This is Belgium's second reasoned opinion on the subject: the Commission considers that the legislation adopted by the country's authorities to comply with the directive, following an initial reasoned opinion in June 2013, is insufficient. Belgium, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia have two months to comply with their legal obligations, on pain of action before the Court of Justice. (EH)