EU Initiates Four Infringement Procedures Against Bulgaria

Novinite.com
27 Mar 2025

EU Initiates Four Infringement Procedures Against Bulgaria

The European Commission has initiated four infringement procedures against Bulgaria, sending formal notices to the Bulgarian authorities regarding the country's failure to implement EU directives within the required deadlines. Sofia now has two months to respond and complete the necessary transpositions into national legislation.

One of the cases concerns amendments to the Directive on the structure of the EU electricity market. EU member states were required to notify Brussels by January 17 that they had transposed these changes, except for provisions related to free choice of supplier and energy sharing. Denmark is the only member state that has fully incorporated these amendments, while Bulgaria is among those that have not yet done so.

Another infringement procedure targets Bulgaria and eight other EU countries for failing to incorporate amendments from the revised Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings. The deadline for implementation was January 1, and the changes focus on phasing out financial incentives for installing independent fossil fuel-powered boilers. The directive aims for full decarbonization of buildings by 2050, with the expectation that energy costs for consumers will decrease as a result.

Bulgaria is also among 13 EU nations that have yet to fully transpose the Directive on the operational resilience of digital technologies in the financial sector. This directive establishes clear and uniform rules for ensuring digital security and resilience in financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, and investment firms.

The fourth infringement case involves Bulgaria and 15 other member states that have not yet implemented the updated EU social legislation related to road transport activities. The 2024 delegated directive revises classification rules for transport violations, which could affect operators? reputations and determine whether they can continue operating in the sector.

If Bulgaria does not address these shortcomings within the two-month deadline, the European Commission may escalate the procedures further, potentially leading to penalties.