Belgium, Bulgaria and Slovenia warned - European Commission has initiated proceedings against three member states
The European Commission has sent formal warnings to Belgium, Bulgaria and Slovenia due to insufficient progress in aligning national legislation with new European regulations that provide for criminal prosecution for violating sanctions.
As announced on the official website of the European Commission, these three countries are invited to introduce into their legal systems provisions of the Directive adopted in 2024, which establishes an obligation to consider evasion and violation of Union restrictive measures as a criminal offense.
"The European Commission calls on Belgium, Bulgaria and Slovenia to implement the Directive criminalising the violation of European Union restrictive measures," a statement from Brussels said.
According to the Commission, the countries in question have not yet provided evidence that they have taken the necessary national measures to implement these rules, which is why the warning procedure has been launched. This is the first stage of the EU's so-called infringement procedure, which can lead to legal action if the countries fail to comply with the rules.
Belgium, Bulgaria and Slovenia have two months to respond to the European Commission and inform Brussels of the steps they have taken. Otherwise, the Commission may refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which has the power to impose fines.
The issue of sanctions and their implementation has caused broader political tensions in the EU. Hungary recently blocked the adoption of the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions, as well as a proposal for a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine, after Kiev suspended construction of part of the infrastructure related to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the move was a violation of the association agreement with the European Union. Meanwhile, the European Commission confirmed that Hungary and Slovakia had temporarily suspended oil supplies to Ukraine, further complicating energy and political relations in the region.
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