Eight Member States are being slow to take the necessary measures to complete the internal EU energy market by 2014. To achieve this, timely and complete transposition of EU legislation on the single market of gas and electricity into national law is crucial.
Opening energy markets for competition is key to competitiveness of the EU economy as a whole. An efficient, interconnected and transparent European internal energy market will also offer consumers a choice between different companies supplying gas and electricity and will make the market accessible to all suppliers.
The Electricity and Gas Directives of the Third Energy Package have to be transposed by the Member States by 3 March 2011. To date Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia have not informed the Commission of any transposition measures for the two Directives and Estonia has not done so as regards the Gas Directive.
Consequently, the Commission has sent 15 Reasoned Opinions to these 8 Member States to urge them to comply with their legal obligation. The Member States now have two months to respond. If they fail to comply the Commission may refer them to the Court of Justice of the European Union.