The Commission published its bi-monthly overview of steps taken to ensure the complete and timely transposition of EU directives. Austria has been accused of an infringement in two cases, and it was decided to send letters of formal notice in both cases.
Infringement proceedings begin with a letter of formal notice. In it, the Commission sets out which EU rule a Member State is alleged to have breached and gives it the opportunity to comment. If the allegation persists, a reasoned opinion follows.
According to the Commission, Austria and 25 other Member States have not reported the timely transposition of the recast Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/1791). Only the Czech Republic has complied with the deadline.
In addition, the Commission has initiated another procedure against Austria in the field of renewable energy.
As a rule, Austria and all other affected Member States now have two months time to fully transpose the EU rules into their national law. If transposition fails to occur, the Commission may refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU. If the Court finds a violation, it may impose substantial fines for the violators.
