Press Release: Internal Market: infringement proceedings against Greece and Sweden for failure to apply European laws

The European Commission decided on 19 October 2004 to take Greece to the European Court of Justice for failure to transpose into national legislation the second Directive on money laundering, adopted in 2001, as well as two 2002 Directives on solvency margins for life assurance and non-life insurance undertakings. In addition, the Commission asked Greece to lift the requirement which Greek law imposes on insurance companies wishing to offer motor insurance cover to belong to the Greek association of insurance companies. The Commission also made a formal request to Sweden to complete the transposition into national law of Directive 2001/19/EC on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The Commission requests took the form of reasoned opinions, which are the second stage of the infringement procedure laid down in Article 226 of the EC Treaty.