26/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - Infringement of working time directive. Seven member states are in the sights of the European Commission because they have not yet submitted details of measures taken to ensure the EU working time directive is applied to self-employed drivers. It has sent reasoned opinions (warning letters) to Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Finland, Poland, Portugal and Spain, asking for the said information within two months. If the countries do not comply, then they may be referred to the European Court of Justice. EU Directive 2002/15/EC provides welfare protection for all professional drivers, partly to ensure healthy competition within the EU among transport professionals, and therefore has to be applied to self-employed drivers. (MD/transl.fl)