The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has mandated that Bulgaria pay a lump sum penalty of EUR 1.9 million due to the delayed transposition of the European Electronic Tolling Service (EETS) Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/520). The CJEU determined that Bulgaria failed to meet its obligations under the legislation by not adopting and notifying the required national measures to incorporate the directive into its national law by the stipulated deadline of October 19, 2021. The primary purpose of this European directive is to ensure the interoperability of electronic road toll systems across the European Union and to streamline the cross-border exchange of information concerning unpaid road charges.
Although Bulgarian authorities eventually implemented and completed the necessary legislative transposition, leading the European Commission to withdraw its request for periodic penalty payments, the Commission maintained its claim for a lump sum penalty. The CJEU dismissed the arguments presented by Bulgaria, specifically those citing political instability or the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The judgment established that, according to established case law, a Member State cannot use internal difficulties to justify non-compliance with its obligations under European Union law.
The Court noted that invoking force majeure requires the existence of extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances that could not have been avoided, and no such circumstances were proven in this case. Consequently, the CJEU imposed the financial penalty on Bulgaria. This ruling reinforces the binding nature of EU directives, requiring Member States to adhere to established legal timelines to maintain the integrity and functionality of the unified European market.
Topics: #directive #bulgaria #european
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has mandated that Bulgaria pay a penalty of EUR 1.9 million due to the delayed transposition of the European Electronic Tolling Service (EETS) Directi