Two thirds of EU may face sanctions for ignoring directive

Nineteen EU member states have missed the deadline to translate the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU) into national law by more than nine months, despite the rigorous enforcement of existing efficiency laws being part of the flagship Energy Union project, Publics.bg portal said.

Proceedings against Greece, Portugal and Slovenia for failure to fully implement the directive have begun in February.

In November, Bulgaria and Hungary were asked to fully transpose the rules. Bulgaria’s parliamentary commission, perhaps pushed by eagerness to avoid scrutiny and sanctions, finally adopted the last parts of the regulation into the Energy Efficiency Act on March 26.