Press Release: State aid: Commission refers Austria to Court for incomplete implementation of financial transparency Directive

The European Commission has decided to refer Austria to the European Court of Justice for failing to implement in full the Commission Directive on the transparency of financial relations between Member States and public undertakings (2000/52/EC, amending Directive 80/723/EC) . Referral to the Court is the final stage of the infringement procedure foreseen by Article 226 of the EC Treaty. Austria was previously formally requested to fully implement the Directive within two months by a reasoned opinion sent in 2005 (see IP/05/876). Austria has not yet complied with this request.