EU-Commission: Measures to strengthen economic security and ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives

The Commission adopted a package of infringement decisions due to the absence of communication by Member States of measures taken to transpose EU directives into national law. In a further measure the Commission adopted five initiatives to strengthen the EU's economic security at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and profound technological shifts.

New initiatives to strengthen economic security

The package aims to enhance the EU's economic security while upholding the openness of trade, investment, and research for the EU's economy, in line with the June 2023 European Economic Security Strategy. The proposals are part of a broader three-pillar approach to EU economic security by promoting the EU's competitiveness, protecting against risks and partnering with the broadest possible range of countries to advance shared economic security interests.

The initiatives aim at:

• further strengthening the protection of EU security and public order by proposing improved screening of foreign investment into the EU;
• stimulating discussions and action for more European coordination in the area of export controls, in full respect of existing multilateral regimes and Member States' prerogatives;
• consulting Member States and stakeholders to identify potential risks stemming from outbound investments in a narrow set of technologies;
• promoting further discussions on how to better support research and development involving technologies with dual-use potential;
• proposing that the Council recommends measures aimed at enhancing research security at national and sector level.

More details to be found here (European Commission, press release of 24 January 2024).

Ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives

The Commission is adopting a package of infringement decisions due to the absence of communication by Member States of measures taken to transpose EU directives into national law. The Commission is sending a letter of formal notice to those Member States who have failed to notify national measures transposing directives, whose transposition deadline expired recently. This reflects a standard policy by the Commission to follow-up systematically on these type of cases. In this package, there are 26 Member States which have not yet notified full transposition measures for 11 EU directives in the fields of justice, internal market and SMEs, taxation and customs, health, climate, home affairs, and financial services. Member States concerned now have two months to reply to the letters of formal notice and complete their transposition, or the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

More detailed information to be found here (European Commission, Press release of 25 January 2024).