On Wednesday 15 February, the European Commission decided to send Belgium an additional reasoned opinion urging the country to fully transpose the 2011 “Single Permit” Directive.
This directive should have been transposed into national law by 25 December 2013. It establishes a single request procedure for granting a single permit authorising third country nationals to reside and work on the territory of the member state, as well as a common basis of rights. When this deadline expired, Belgium had only partially transposed the directive. The Commission therefore sent the country formal notice for lack of notification in March 2014 and a reasoned opinion in April 2015, before finally making a referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union in November 2015. Belgium then informed the Commission that a legislative procedure was up and running, including at regional level, and the case at the Court was temporarily suspended.
Transposition of the directive, however, remains partial and no precise timetable has been set out. The Commission therefore decided to send an additional reasoned opinion to the Belgian authorities, which have two months to respond and communicate the measures they have taken in this respect, failing which, the Commission could take them to Court again. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)