On Thursday 28 September, a further step was taken in the infringement proceedings brought against 8 EU countries - Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain - for failure to comply with European water legislation, which includes the requirements of the framework directive (2000/60/EC) and the directive on the coordinated assessment and management of flood risks (2007/60/EC).
The European Commission has sent them a reasoned opinion urging them to finalise their river basin management plans and/or their flood risk management plans.
Both directives require Member States to review, update and report on these plans every six years.
However, despite a letter of formal notice sent to each of the 8 countries last February, none of them has complied with EU legislation.
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Malta and Portugal are behind schedule in examining, adopting and reporting on the third river basin management plan and the second flood risk management plan.
Ireland and Slovenia are behind schedule for the third river basin management plan.
Slovakia is behind schedule with its second flood risk management plan. The very first plans required by the ‘Floods’ directive were implemented in 2016.
Member States now have two months to respond to the reasoned opinion and take the necessary measures. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the European Commission may take them to the EU Court of Justice. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)