Council for European Affairs discussed the implementation of the Action Plan for 2011
17 November 2011 News
The Council for European Affairs discussed the monthly report on the implementation of the Action Plan for 2011 with regard to measures resulting from the accession of Bulgaria to the European Union, adopted by Decision № 27 of January 17 2011 by the Council of Ministers.
The Action Plan allows for the identification of all obligations arising from membership of Bulgaria in the European Union and the preparation of a preliminary schedule for their timely, accurate and correct implementation.
This plan must be adopted each year and is organized under the responsibility of working groups under Art. Paragraph 7. 2 of Decree № 85 of 2007 on the coordination of EU affairs.
The measures included in the Action Plan cover the introduction of European Union directives, ensuring the implementation of the Treaties, regulations and decisions of the EU and the preparation of the Republic of Bulgaria’s positions ahead of meetings of the EU Council.
For each measure in the Action Plan, there is a schedule with specific deadlines and the institutions responsible for implementation are identified.
Performance is monitored monthly by the Council for European Affairs at the Council of Ministers. This enables the identification of delays in the implementation of measures that may lead or have led to the initiation of infringement proceedings against Bulgaria under art. 258 of the Treaty on European Union.
The Action Plan for 2011 includes 213 measures, of which 182 had a deadline of October 31 2011 for implementation. Of these 148 measures had been implemented, while 34 measures (18.7 per cent) still remain unfulfilled.
The distribution of the outstanding measures among ministries as follows:
The Ministry of Transport and Communications: Nine in transport policy and two in the field of telecommunications. The great majority of these measures relate to implementation of EU directives. Turopean Commission already has launched infringement proceedings under Art. 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for the deadlines not being met.
The Ministry of Economy and Energy has three outstanding measures in the energy field and three on the free movement of goods. Proceedings also have been started in connection with some of them because the directives have not been implemented.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has six outstanding measures, and the Ministry of Finance five, but currently no infringement proceedings are underway.
The Ministry of Environment and Water and Ministry of Labour and Social Policy have two outstanding measures and in one case infringement proceedings have begun.
Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works has two outstanding measures that are not related to Directives.