Brussels, 29/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 29 January, the European Commission sent reasoned opinions to a number of member states which are failing to abide by Community law on energy. 20 member states - Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom - were sent reasoned opinions after they failed to communicate their transposition of directive 2006/32/EC on energy end-use efficiency and energy services. The Commission also sent a reasoned opinion to Bulgaria for failure to implement directive 2003/54/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity. The Commission considers that the rules that impose the major electricity producers to sell a quota of their production to the incumbent company at a regulated purchase price, may lead to distortions in the opening of the electricity market. It also considers that there are irregularities in the third party access principle of the electricity directive and of the auction rules for allocating capacity of the electricity regulation. Sweden also received a reasoned opinion for failing to communicate to the Commission its measures to transpose directive 2005/89/EC on security of electricity supply. Lastly the Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Ireland on the grounds that its national legislation does not comply with directive 2006/67/EC on emergency oil stocks. While Community law requires member states to have a minimum level of oil stocks, which are fully at the disposal of member states in the event of oil supply difficulties, the Commission considers that Irish law allows stocks to be used as collateral, which means that they are not fully available to be used as needed in an emergency. The reasoned opinion is the second stage of the infringement procedure. The above-mentioned member states each in receipt of a reasoned opinion have two months to take the necessary steps to comply. After that time, the Commission may decide to refer them to the Court of Justice. (E.H./transl.rt)