The European Commission has issued so-called reasoned opinions to several member states for failing to comply with energy-related laws.
The Commission urged Bulgaria, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Sweden to transpose EU rules accelerating permitting procedures for renewable energy projects. The rules, in Directive (EU) 2023/2413, amend the Renewable Energy Directive (Directive (EU) 2018/2001), providing new rules to simplify and shorten permitting procedures for renewable energy projects and infrastructure projects necessary to integrate additional capacity into the electricity system.
The Commission said the deadline to transpose these provisions into national law was July 1, 2024. In September 2024, the Commission sent letters of formal notice to 26 member states for failing to fully transpose the directive into national law. After having examined the replies from the eight member states, the Commission decided to issue reasoned opinions to Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Sweden for failing to notify transposition measures and to Bulgaria, France, and the Netherlands for failing to provide sufficiently clear information on how their transposition align with the directive’s provisions.
The eight member states have two months to respond and take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to refer the cases to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Commission said.
The Commission also said Hungary and Poland have not fully transposed EU rules for the internal electricity market contained in Directive (EU) 2019/944, amending Directive 2012/27/EU. The directive lays down key rules regarding the organization and functioning of the EU electricity sector to create integrated, competitive, consumer-centered electricity markets across the EU.
The deadline to transpose the directive into national law was December 31, 2020. The Commission notified Hungary in February 2021 and Poland in May 2022 that they had not fully transposed the directive. After reviewing their replies and national measures, the Commission determined compliance issues remain.
Both countries have two months to respond and take action, or the Commission may refer the cases to the Court of Justice of the EU.
The Commission also issued additional reasoned opinions to Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, and Romania for not fully transposing EU Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on promoting renewable energy use. This directive establishes a legal framework for renewable energy in the EU, setting a binding target for 2030 and including rules for guarantees of origin, which inform customers about renewable energy in their supply. It also sets sustainability criteria for biofuels and facilitates citizen participation in the energy transition.
The Commission said the deadline for transposing the directive into national law was June 30, 2021. After sending formal notices in July 2021 and following up on responses, the Commission deemed their transpositions incomplete. The four member states have two months to address the issues, or the cases may be referred to the Court of Justice of the EU.
Source: By Paul Anderson from Rigzone.com