Press Release: Internal Market: infringement proceedings against Austria, Greece, Poland and Portugal

The European Commission decided to launch infringement proceedings against Austria, Greece, Poland and Portugal in the area of the Internal Market. The Commission will refer Portugal to the European Court of Justice for failing to communicate measures transposing the Eligible Assets Directive. The Commission has also decided, under Article 228 of the EC Treaty, to request full information from Greece and Austria on their compliance with previous Court judgments concerning, respectively, professional qualifications and restrictions on establishment. Finally, the Commission has decided to send a formal request to Poland regarding incomplete transposition of a Directive on pension institutions. This formal request takes the form of a "reasoned opinion", the second stage of the infringement procedure laid down in Article 226 of the EC Treaty. If there is no satisfactory reply within two months, the Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.