The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has mandated that Bulgaria pay a lump sum penalty of EUR 1.9 million concerning the delayed implementation of the European Electronic Tolling Service (EETS) directive (Directive (EU) 2019/520). According to a press release on Thursday, the CJEU determined that Bulgaria failed to meet its obligations under the directive by not adopting and notifying the European Commission of the necessary measures for incorporation into national law by the stipulated deadline of October 19, 2021. The primary goal of the directive is to ensure the interoperability of electronic road toll systems across the European Union and to streamline the cross-border exchange of information when road charges remain unpaid.
Although Bulgarian authorities eventually adopted and completed the required legislation during the proceedings, leading the European Commission to withdraw its request for periodic penalty payments, the Commission maintained its claim for a lump sum. The CJEU rejected Bulgaria’s defense arguments, which cited political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic. The judgment established that, according to existing case law, a Member State cannot use internal difficulties as justification for non-compliance with its obligations under European Union law.
The court specified that invoking force majeure requires extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances that could not be avoided, none of which were established in this instance. Consequently, the CJEU imposed the financial penalty on Bulgaria.
Topics: #directive #bulgaria #european
