site.btaEC Notifies Bulgaria about Four Infringement Procedures

The European Commission said on Thursday it has sent a letter of formal notice to Bulgaria concerning four infringement procedures. Bulgaria now has two months to reply to the letter, or the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

Emissions trading

Bulgaria and 25 other member states (Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden) have not communicated full transposition into national law of changes in the EU emissions trading rules by the set deadline of December 31, 2023.

The review of the EU Emissions Trading System Directive (EU ETS) (Directive (EU) 2023/959) established by Directive 2003/87/EC and the revised EU ETS rules applying to the aviation sector (Directive (EU) 2023/958) entered into force in May 2023. These amendments strengthen the existing EU ETS rules, extend the ETS to maritime transport and implement carbon pricing in new sectors of the economy by establishing a separate new emissions trading system for buildings, road transport and fuels used in small emitting industries. The new rules also establish a Social Climate Fund funded by ETS revenues to ensure that the transition is fair for all.

Legal economic migration

The EU Blue Card Directive (EU) 2021/1883 establishes the entry and residence conditions for highly qualified non-EU nationals coming to live and work in the EU. The Directive introduces more efficient rules for attracting highly skilled workers to the EU. These rules include more flexible admission conditions, enhanced rights and the possibility to move and work more easily between EU member states.

Bulgaria and 16 other member states (Belgium, Estonia, Spain, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden) have not communicated the national measures transposing the Directive to the Commission by the set deadline of November 18, 2023.

Motor insurance

Directive (EU) 2021/2118 amending Directive 2009/103/EC seeks to strengthen the protection of victims of traffic accidents across the EU. To that end, it clarifies the scope of that protection, facilitates checks on compulsory motor insurance and sets up a mechanism to compensate victims in case of insolvency of the responsible insurer.

The member states were to adopt the necessary provisions to comply with this Directive by December 23, 2023. Bulgaria and 16 other member states (Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland) have not communicated to the Commission the full transposition of this Directive by the set deadline.

Consumer credits

The EU rules on credit servicers and credit purchasers allow the marketing of non-performing loans (NPLs) cross-border and provide for a set of safeguards to strengthen consumer protection. Recent changes make sure that the transfer of the creditor rights does not alter the original contractual obligation between the parties and that consumers can plead against the purchaser of the loan any defence which he or she could have pleaded against the original creditor.

The NPL Directive introduces significant forbearance measures to protect consumers such as refinancing of the credit agreement, deferring the payment of the debt instalments, change of the interest rate or partial forgiveness, as well as information requirements to increase transparency in the relationship with the creditor. Member states were required to adopt and publish the measures transposing the NPL Directive into national law by December 29, 2023.

Bulgaria and 20 other member states (Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland) have not communicated to the Commission the full transposition of these articles by the set deadline.