Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission only decided on Thursday 2 April to close infringement proceedings “due to exceptional circumstances”. This affects 104 cases where problems with Member States have been resolved without the need for further proceedings, she said.
These include infringement proceedings against Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Cyprus, which transposed EU rules relating to PNR (‘Passenger Name Record’) data.
The Commission has also closed proceedings against Greece, Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands, which have now fully transposed the Victims’ Rights Directive into national law.
Infringement proceedings against Bulgaria, Greece and Ireland were also closed, following the full transposition into national law of three Framework Decisions on the principle of mutual recognition in criminal law (Framework Decisions 2008/947/JHA, 2008/909/JHA and 2005/214/JHA).
Extensions. However, the Commission warns that it will continue, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to pay close attention to the correct and timely application of European legislation by the Member States. It “will continue its infringement proceedings in cases where it considers it necessary”, said Christian Wigand, spokesman for the Justice Department, on Wednesday 1 April.
Nevertheless, aware of the mobilisation of national administrative resources to combat the pandemic, the European institution has decided to extend the deadlines set for Member States to reply to the letters of formal notice and reasoned opinions sent to them in January and February 2020 “as an exception” by “2 months”, i.e., until 15 June 2020. The same applies to letters asking Member States to notify national measures taken to comply with a judgment of the EU Court of Justice. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana and Mathieu Bion)