Brussels, 28/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 26 November, the European Commission sent 'reasoned opinion' warning letters to Bulgaria, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Slovenia for failng to apply the EU rules on the cross-border exchange of rules about breaches of road traffic rules. The rules contained in an EU directive that is still being revised should have been transposed into the four member states' legislation by the end of November this year. Slovenia has notified the Commission of partial application measures, but the other three countries have not provided details of what they are planning. If the four countries fail to supply the information within the next two months, the Commission may send them to the European Court of Justice.
A number of other reasoned opinions have also been sent in relation to transport questions.
Cyprus has been sent a second reasoned opinion for failing to take measures to connect up its national register of road transport companies with similar registers in other member states (via the European road transport register). This is required under EU Regulation 1071/2009 and should have been done by December 2012.
Bulgaria has also been warned about penalties that it should have introduced for airlines that break EU air traffic management rules (under EU Regulation 225/2010 that should have been tranposed by September 2011). Germany has been sent a reasoned opinion in relation to air transport because it fails to carry out regular inspections of all air transport safety measures as recommended in EU Regulation 300/2008.
The European Commission is requesting information from Lithuania about freedom of establishment in its ports. It requires the country to ensure that contracts for the hire of land in its ports are awarded on the basis of transparent and non-discriminatory competitive tender.
Finally, a reasoned opinion has also been sent to Portugal, for the second time, about transposition of EU Regulation 1371/2007 on rail passenger rights, which should have been transposed by December 2009.
All the above countries now have two months in which to inform the Commission of the measures they are planning to take to deal with the notified problems. (MD)