EC advances four infringement cases against Bulgaria
The European Commission said on April 24 that it advanced four infringement cases against Bulgaria for failing to notify the transposition of EU directives into national law.
In its latest infringements package, the EC said that it was sending additional letters of formal notice in two existing cases and took two other cases to the second stage of the infringement process by issuing a reasoned opinion.
The Commission said that it was sending an additional letter of formal notice as regards the incorrect transposition of Directive 2016/343/EU on the strengthening of the presumption of innocence and the right to be present at the trial in criminal proceedings.
Bulgaria received the first letter of formal notice in September 2023, but the EC said that it found additional issues in the Bulgarian transposition of the provisions concerning trials in absentia and the right to a new trial.
The EC’s other additional letter of formal notice was in the case regarding the implementation of Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedures between member states.
“Bulgaria has addressed previous grievances but, through other amendments, has now failed to correctly transpose the provisions related to maintaining the requested person in detention,” the EC said.
The first reasoned opinion sent by the Commission concerned the infringement case against Bulgaria for failing to comply with EU’s public procurement directives, specifically provisions excluding private hospitals from EU rules even when they are partly financed through public funds.
The Commission also sent a reason opinion in the ongoing case regarding Bulgaria’s failure to transpose Directive (EU) 2021/1187 on measures for advancing the realisation of the TEN-T trans-European transport network, which had a transposition deadline of August 2023.
(European Commission headquarters Berlaymont building. Photo: JLogan)
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