site.btaEC Launches Infringement Procedures against Bulgaria on Migrant-related Matters

EC Launches Infringement Procedures against Bulgaria on Migrant-related Matters

Brussels, September 23 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) -
The European Commission (EC) Wednesday said in a press release
that it launches 40 infringement procedures against Member
States over their failure to transpose the corresponding EU law
related to migrants. Three procedures have been launched against
 Bulgaria - two at the stage of letter of formal notice, and one
 at the stage of reasoned opinion - over the country's failure
to communicate the national measures taken to transpose the
corresponding Union law.

The EC has sent a letter of formal notice (the first formal step
 of an infringement procedure) to Bulgaria over its failure to
communicate national measures taken to fully transpose the
revised Asylum Procedures Directive (2013/32/EU). This Directive
 establishes common procedures for granting and withdrawing
international protection and sets clearer rules on how to apply
for asylum.  The deadline for the transposition of the Directive
 expired on July 20, 2015, the press release reads.

The EC has also sent a letter of formal notice over Bulgaria's
failure to communicate the national measures taken to fully
transpose the updated Reception Conditions Directive
(2013/33/EU), which sets out common minimum standards for the
reception of applicants for international protection across
Member States. It provides a legal obligation for Member States
to ensure that material reception conditions, such as access to
housing, food, healthcare and employment, as well as medical and
 psychological care, are available to applicants when they apply
 for international protection.  The Directive also restricts the
 detention of vulnerable persons, in particular minors. Bulgaria
 had to transpose the Directive and communicate the national
transposition measures taken by July 20,2015.

Once it receives the letter of formal notice, the national
government has two months to comment on the non-compliance
problem, otherwise the EC can proceed with a reasoned opinion, 
the second formal step of an infringement procedure.

The EC also said that it has sent a reasoned opinion to Bulgaria
 for having failed to communicate national measures to transpose
 the updated Qualifications Directive (2011/95/EU). The
Directive harmonises minimum standards for the qualification of
third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of
 international protection. It also foresees a series of rights
on protection from refoulement, residence permits, travel
documents, access to employment, access to education, social
welfare, healthcare, access to accommodation, access to
integration facilities, as well as specific provisions for
children and vulnerable persons. The deadline for the
transposition of the Directive expired on December 21, 2013.
Despite letters of formal notice sent to Bulgaria in June 2013
and January 2014, respectively, Bulgaria has not transposed the
Qualifications Directive, or in any event has not yet notified
the EC of the national transposition measures, the press release
 reads.

Once it receives the EC's reasoned opinion, the national
government has two months to comply, otherwise the EC can refer
the case to the Court of Justice for a litigation procedure.