The Commission decided on Friday 30 October to refer Cyprus to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) requesting financial penalties for Nicosia’s failure to notify measures transposing Directive 2016/943 on the protection of know-how and undisclosed commercial information (better known as ‘trade secrets’).
Cyprus has not communicated any transposition measures to date, explains the institution, despite the fact that the deadline set by the directive expired on 9 June 2018. The Commission opened the infringement proceeding against Cyprus in July 2018 and sent a reasoned opinion in July 2019.
However, nothing has happened since then, as the Cypriot authorities have still not notified any measures transposing the Directive. The Commission has therefore decided to refer the case to the Court of Justice.
As a reminder, the Directive aims to harmonise the legal protection of commercial secrets in the EU and to ensure a sufficient and consistent level of civil remedies and compensation in the Single Market (see EUROPE 11558/3). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)