Today, Sunday June 30, the option to submit the national climate and energy plan (NEKP) to Brussels on time ends. It was announced on Friday that Austria would not be able to meet the deadline. The European Commission was asked by Austria to extend the deadline until after the summer, but according to the Ministry of the Environment, no response has yet been received.
However, no fines are currently expected as a result of infringement proceedings, a spokeswoman said on Sunday.
“At the beginning of a process”
With the passing of the deadline, we are at the beginning of a process that can only lead to the payments in question if the European Commission initiates a corresponding lawsuit before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
There are 53 infringement proceedings pending
There are currently a total of 53 infringement proceedings against Austria, as European Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) recently announced in response to a parliamentary question from the SPÖ – and according to the European Commission against states such as the Czech Republic (54), the Netherlands (52), Cyprus ( 56) or France (56) have a similar number of pending cases.
In response to the question, Minister of Climate and Infrastructure Leonore Gewessler (Greens) emphasized at the time that no infringement proceedings against her department are at the stage of a lawsuit before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
This is the threat in the event of a conviction
If a conviction is actually obtained, the ECJ can impose two types of financial penalty: the minimum lump sum, which amounts to more than two million euros. The fine ranges from 2,196 to 131,784 euros per day. The daily penalty is intended to encourage a Member State to put an end to a breach of contract. Unlike the lump sum, the penalty is only imposed if the breach of contract continues on the day of notification of the judgment.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
