EU countries miss target for adopting bloc's laws

THE EUROPEAN Union’s executive arm yesterday urged national governments to adopt the bloc’s laws more rapidly, as a name-and-shame list showed members were slipping further behind the target for implementation.

The European Commission was satisfied in 2005 when after years of rebuke, scolding and legal action, EU countries finally approached the target of only 1.5 per cent of EU laws not being translated into national legislation.

But the 2006 report showed the figure had increased to 1.9 per cent from 1.6 per cent. Italy, Portugal and the Czech Republic were the worst offenders.

“The failure to break the 1.5 per cent barrier is a great opportunity missed. Instead, we are further from the target. Member states need to get their implementation efforts back on track,” EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said.

EU law requires member states to implement EU law within two years of its adoption, but many do not meet this deadline.

This prevents cross-border firms from benefiting from harmonised EU rules, which come into effect only if all member states adopt them.

EU laws aim to create an internal market where goods, people, capital and services can move freely. In recent years the Commission has drafted legislation to free up sectors such as telecoms, energy and financial services.

The Commission said the 10, mostly east European countries that joined the bloc in 2004 were still transposing EU laws faster than the bloc’s 15 “old” members, although their efforts appeared to be slowing.

The newcomers’ average for unimplemented law was 1.5 per cent. That compared with 2.2 per cent for “old” members.

Denmark was top of the class, with a legislation deficit of only 0.5 per cent, followed by Cyprus, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia and Britain.

The Commission, the EU’s executive, can spur member states with court action, although the European Court of Justice can take up to two years to deliver a verdict.
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