site.btaEuropean Commission Urges Bulgaria to Implement Directive on Antitrust Damages Action

Brussels, July 13 (BTA) - The European Commission has urged Bulgaria to fully implement the Directive on antitrust damages actions (Directive 2014/104/EU) into national law. An identical request is addressed to Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Malta and Portugal, the Commission said Thursday.

This Directive helps citizens and companies to claim damages if they are victims of infringements of EU antitrust rules, such as cartels or abuses of dominant market positions, the Commission recalls in its communication.

Member States were under an obligation to implement it into national law by December 2016.

Today, the Commission is sending reasoned opinions to Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Malta and Portugal for failing to notify the Commission of their national transposition measures.

The seven member states now have two months to inform the Commission of measures taken to implement the Directive.

In the absence of a satisfactory reply, the Commission may decide to refer them to the Court of Justice of the EU.