EC says Romania runs infrigement risk in five sectors

Romania runs infringement risk in five sectors, says EC

Newsroom 10/07/2014 | 17:35

The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, has said today that Romania has to comply with EU regulation in five areas including the export of natural gas and copyright, warning that it might start infringement procedures unless the country fixes its legislation.

The decisions were part of the July infringement package that was handed down to member states. In total the EC has taken 404 decisions, including 63 reasoned opinions and 14 referrals to the EU Court of Justice.

Romania has to fully implement the directive for extending copyright protection, along with France and Poland. The EC may refer the three countries to the EU Court of Justice if no measures are notified within two months.

In the field of waste management, the EC has asked Romania to send detail on how it is implementing EU legislation regarding packaging waste and end-of-life vehicles. Unless the country replies in two months, it will be referred to the EU Court of Justice.

On the energy market, the EC urged Romania to remove barriers regarding the exports of gas. Local producers are forced to sale mainly on the domestic market and to submit gas transactions to prior control and approval to the authorities. The country has to answer to the EC in two months or it risks a trial at the EU Court of Justice.

The EC has also formally requested today 16 member states, including Romania, to improve their Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB), which is a common airspace around traffic flows rather than state boundaries.

EC Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: “We have to finally overcome national borders in the European airspace. FABs are a necessary, vital component of the Single European Sky. Right now these common airspaces exist only on paper; they are formally established but not yet functional. I urge Member States to step up their ambitions and push forward the implementation of the Single Sky.”