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Romania will risk sanctions starting with 4 December as they delay the implementation of EU directives
On 4 October the European Commission sent to Romania five decisions which include two letters of late submission and three motivated opinions in such domains as digital single market, environment, mobility and transports. The term of conformity for avoiding some litigations in these cases is the 4th of December.
In the case of the monthly package of decisions where non-compliance with the commitments announced on 4 October by the European Commission those referring to Romania include: a letter of late submission regarding the regulated analysis of the relevant telecom markets, a letter of late submission regarding the adoption of acoustic maps and action plans for environmental noise, a motivated opinion which refers to the transposition of the norms regarding the installation of infrastructure for alternative fuels, a motivated opinion regarding the transposition of the norms regarding the light weight carrier bags and a motivated opinion connected to the measures for the reduction of gas vapour emissions.
The first decision of the European Commission refers to the ‘ timely analysis of the relevant telecom markets’.
The regulatory national authorities must make, every three years, analyses of the telecom markets which are the under EU regulations, according to the present judicial framework ( Directive 2002/21/EC) and notify the European Commission on the corresponding measures.
The second decision of the European Commission refers to the adoption of acoustic maps and action plans regarding environmental noise.
Romania, Cyprus, Germany and Slovenia must observe the essential dispositions of the Directive regarding noise (Directive 2002/49/EC).. They include the obligation of the member states to adopt acoustic maps which present the exposure to noise in urban environment, as well as along the main railroads, main roads and close to the big airports.
These maps are later to be used for the definition of the measures in the action plans regarding environmental noise made by road traffic, railroad and airport traffic, as noise is considered ‘ the second cause of premature death, after pollution’.
The third decision of the European Commission refers to the ‘ transposition of the norms regarding the infrastructure for alternative fuel’.
According to the request sent on 4 October by the European Commission Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,Romania and Sweden must transpose the EU norms regarding the installation of the infrastructure for alternative fuel (Directive 2014/94/EU). The main objective of the directive is to establish a common framework for the installation of the infrastructure for alternative fuel in Europe. This is essential to reduce dependence on oil for transporters, to diminish their impact on the environment, to consolidate the leading position of Europe in combatting climatic changes. The directive establishes the minimum requirements regarding the construction of infrastructure for alternative fuel, including recharging points for electric vehicles and refuelling points with natural gas and hydrogen.
The directive had to be applied until 18 November 2016, at the latest. Even so, the mentioned member states communicated only partially to the commission the measures to transpose the directive in the national legislation. The 9 member states had two months ( until 4 December) to notify the commission about the respective measures; contrary, the commission can decide to send the case to the Court of Justice of EU.
The fourth decision of the European Commission aims at ‘ the transposition of the norms regarding light weight carrier bags’.
The commission required on 4 October to Romania and Croatia to finalise the transposition of the EU legislation regarding waste in their national legislation, namely Directive 2015/720 regarding the plastic carrier bags.
The fifth decision of the European Commission aims at the ‘ measures for the reduction of vapour gasoline emissions’.
Romania received on 4 October a motivated opinion for the non-compliance with the obligation to communicate the measures for the reduction of the gasoline vapour emissions in conformity with the EU norms regarding the air quality (Directive 2014/99/EU). The directive is an essential instrument for the protection of human health and of the environment through the limitation of volatile organic compounds in gasoline.
The main decisions adopted by the commission in October include 29 letters of later submission, 29 motivated opinions and 4 decisions for the Court of Justice of the European Union. At the same time, the commission decided to close down 133 cases where the issues with the member states were solved without the necessity to continue the procedure.