Press Release: Internal Market: infringement cases against the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Sweden and Finland

The European Commission on 22 March 2005 decided to send a letter of formal notice asking the UK for full information on its execution of a European Court judgement requiring it to implement EU law on reorganisation and winding-up of insurance undertakings. It also decided to ask Portugal formally, by means of a reasoned opinion, to remove a requirement for architects holding qualifications from other Member States to take an examination before they can practise in Portugal. Finally, the Commission decided to issue reasoned opinions, the second stage of the infringement procedure, to Denmark, Austria, Finland and Sweden because their Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with non-EU countries were incompatible with the EC Treaty.