Press Release: Antitrust: Commission steps up infringement procedure against Slovakia for not implementing Commission hybrid mail decision

The European Commission decided to send a reasoned opinion to Slovakia requiring it to implement a Commission decision on hybrid mail. A reasoned opinion is the second step in infringement proceedings under Article 226 of the EC Treaty. In 2008, the Commission had found Slovakia's remonopolisation of the hybrid mail sector to be incompatible with the Single Market and had ordered Slovakia to end the infringement. To date, Slovakia had not informed the Commission of any measures to implement the Commission's decision. The 2008 Decision has binding and direct effect and is directly enforceable by national courts. The reasoned opinion followed a letter of formal notice sent in December 2008, to which Slovakia provided no satisfactory reply. Slovakia now had two months to comply with the reasoned opinion, failing which the Commission may bring the matter to the European Court of Justice.