European Commission Takes Legal Action Against Bulgaria Over Unmet EU Directives

In a significant move, the European Commission (EC) has announced actions against Bulgaria for failure to comply with several crucial EU directives. The EC referred Bulgaria to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not enacting measures in line with the Victims' Rights' Directive. Simultaneously, it urged Bulgaria to rectify issues related to air pollution reduction commitments and the transposition of the Waste Framework Directive into national legislation.

Victims' Rights Directive: The Commission reproached Bulgaria for not communicating the required measures to transpose the Victims' Rights' Directive into national law, compelling it to face legal action. Despite ongoing exchanges with Bulgarian authorities since 2019, two critical provisions of the directive remain unimplemented, leading the Commission to pursue sanctions.

Air Pollutants: Bulgaria, along with several other nations, faced a reasoned opinion for failing to meet reduction commitments outlined in the NEC Directive, targeting key air pollutants. The Commission's analysis highlighted continued non-compliance with emission reduction obligations, prompting a two-month ultimatum for corrective action.

Waste Management: An infringement procedure was initiated against Bulgaria and other countries for inadequacies in transposing the Waste Framework Directive. The Commission's scrutiny revealed deficiencies in Bulgaria's legislation regarding extended producer responsibility schemes, waste prevention measures, and textile collection, mandating corrective actions within two months.