, Brussels - Main contents
| date | December 12, 2014 |
|---|---|
| city | Brussels, Belgium |
| location | Berlaymont building (BERL) i  |
| organisation | European Commission (EC) i |
Tuesday 16 December: The Commission adopts its monthly infringements package
On Tuesday 16 December, the European Commission will adopt its monthly infringements package. These decisions cover all Member States and most EU policy areas and seek to enforce EU law across Europe in the interest of both citizens and businesses.
Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) gives the Commission the power to take legal action against a Member State that is not respecting its obligations under EU law.
There are three successive stages: Letter of formal notice, reasoned opinion and referral to the Court of Justice.
If, despite the ruling, a Member State still fails to act, the Commission may open a further infringement case under Article 260 of the TFEU. After only one written warning, Commission may refer a Member State back to the Court and it can propose that the Court imposes financial penalties based on the duration and severity on the infringement and the size of the Member State.
A comprehensive Memo on all referrals and reasoned opinions, specific IPs on each referral and a Memo on the procedure will be available on the day on Rapid:
The sources:
For more information on infringements:
http://ec.europa.eu/eu_law/infringements/infringements_en.htm
On the general infringement procedure: MEMO/12/12
The contacts:
Overall coordination:
Ricardo Cardoso, +32 229 80100, ricardo.cardoso@ec.europa.eu
Mina Andreeva, +32 229 91382, mina.andreeva@ec.europa.eu
Natasha Bertaud, +32 229 67456, natasha.bertaud@ec.europa.eu
On specific infringements, please contact the spokesperson in charge.
Contents
The European Commission is the executive body of the EU and runs its day-to-day business. It is made up of the College of Commissioners, 27 European Commissioners, one for each member state, who are each responsible for one or several policy areas. In addition, the 'Commission' also refers to the entire administrative body that supports the Commissioners, consisting of the Directorates-General and the Services.
The European Commission is the sole EU body capable of proposing new legislation. The Commission also performs an oversight function, monitoring whether European legislation is properly implemented in the member states. In the event of non-compliance, the Commission can coerce a member state to comply by starting a legal procedure at the European Court of Justice.