POLITICS & INSTITUTIONS - JUSTICE
European Commission

Luxembourg late on transposing 26 EU directives

Written by Tracy Heindrichs

Published on 11.11.2021

Luxembourg is late on transposing a number of EU directives, which already earned the grand duchy a few infringement procedures.  Copyright (c) 2018 corgarashu/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

Luxembourg is late on transposing a number of EU directives, which already earned the grand duchy a few infringement procedures.  Copyright (c) 2018 corgarashu/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

Luxembourg is late on adopting 26 EU directives into national law, the ministry of foreign affairs confirmed on 11 November, with two cases referred by the European Commission to the EU court of justice.

Luxembourg faces 22 infringement procedures for failing to apply directives. Among these are directives on food, copyright, fair competition, waste management and the control of the possession of firearms, said foreign affairs minister Jean Asselborn (LSAP) in answer to a parliamentary question.

For example, the commission in September warned Luxembourg for failing to respect the July 2021 deadline to transpose a 2019 directive on the re-use of public information and datasets by commercial and non-commercial entities. Lawmakers on Thursday finally adopted rules transposing the document into national law.

After receiving a formal notice from the commission, member states have two months to respond to the letter and show an intention to implement the directive into national law. Failing to do so results in receiving a formal request to comply with EU law, which in turn could then be transferred to the Court of Justice of the European Union if no actions are taken within two months.

The grand duchy is currently in the process of transposing 41 EU directives into national law. Another 63 already adopted at EU level will have to be adopted at national level. In 26 cases, the deadline has already passed.

In two cases--directives on the control of firearms appropriation and ownership, and the freezing and confiscation of proceeds of crime--the commission has already seized the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union to slap a penalty on the grand duchy for failing to meet the deadline.