Commission takes action to ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The European Commission is taking action against several EU Member States that have failed to notify the Commission of measures they have adopted to transpose EU Directives into their national laws. The deadline to transpose these Directives has expired recently. The Commission is sending a letter of formal notice to these Member States, giving them two months to reply and complete the transposition of the Directives. If they fail to do so, the Commission may pass to a next step and issue a reasoned opinion. The Member States in question have failed to fully transpose four EU directives related to financial stability, home affairs and health. The Commission is urging them to take immediate action to bring their laws in line with EU requirements.

Commission calls on Member States to ensure comprehensive access to information of beneficial ownership to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing
The European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending a letter of formal notice to Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden for failing to fully notify national measures transposing the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1640) to guarantee comprehensive access to information of beneficial ownership of legal entities, trusts or similar arrangements. The 6^th AML Directive mainly deals with organisational and institutional issues of the anti-money laundering and countering the finance of terrorism preventive framework, which are addressed respectively to the Member States, their supervisory authorities, and Financial Intelligence Units. The provisions of the Directive must be transposed by different dates. In general, Member States must transpose the major part of the Directive by 10 July 2027, when the 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive as amended by the fifth one (Directive (EU) 2015/849) will be repealed. By the first deadline, 10 July 2025, Member States had to guarantee comprehensive access to information of beneficial ownership of legal entities, trusts or similar arrangements (including access by persons with a legitimate interest). To date, 11 Member States have not declared full transposition by this first legal deadline. The gradual implementation of the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive is key to preventing any vulnerabilities of their financial systems and ensuring that all Member States consistently and effectively uphold their anti-money laundering standards. The Commission is therefore sending letters of formal notice to Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, which now have two months to complete their transposition and notify their measures to the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

Commission calls on Member States to fully transpose the European Single Access Point (ESAP) Omnibus Directive to ensure investors’ access to corporate public information  
The European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending a letter of formal notice to Bulgaria, Estonia, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands,  Austria, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden for failing to fully transpose theEuropean Single Access Point (ESAP) Omnibus Directive (Directive EU 2023/2864) in relation to the changes introduced in the Transparency Directive (Directive 2004/109/EC). The ESAP Omnibus Directive is part of the ESAP legislative package that facilitates the creation of a centralised mechanism offering easily accessible, comparable and usable public information to investors and other stakeholders. The legislative package foresees three phases of ESAP development. The first phase will begin in July 2026 when the information published according to the Transparency Directive, as well as to Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (Prospectus Regulation) and Regulation (EU) No 236/2012 (Short Selling Regulation) will start to be submitted to the national competent authorities for the purpose of making it available on ESAP. For that first step, Member States had to transpose the changes introduced in the Transparency Directive by 10 July 2025. The Commission is therefore sending letters of formal notice to  Bulgaria, Estonia, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands,  Austria, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden, which now have two months to complete their transposition and notify their measures to the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

Commission calls on Member States to fully transpose the new rules as regards the minimum depth of markings on firearms and essential components
The European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending a letter of formal notice to five Member States (Bulgaria, Czechia, Poland, Portugal and Finland) for failing to notify national measures  transposing the Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2024/325. Member States had to transpose the Implementing Directive into national law and to notify the measures to the Commission by 22 July 2025. The act amends Commission Implementing Directive 2019/68 and establishes a new rule regarding the minimum depth of markings of firearms and essential components to be 0.08mm. The technical requirement is added to the existing standards of the current Implementing Act, which does not specify a minimum depth of markings. A minimum depth at EU level ensures a level playing field for producers and facilitates trade in the internal market. The minimum depth set also corresponds with the standards applicable in the most important markets in third countries, ensuring compatibility for the export of firearms. Marking ensures traceability of firearms and is key to the safety and security of EU citizens. The Commission is therefore sending letters of formal notice to the five Member States concerned. They will have two months to complete their transposition and notify their measures to the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

Commission calls on Member States to fully transpose the Directive to ensure harmonisation in the area of plant health
The European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending letters of formal notice to Denmark, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria and Slovakia for failing to fully transpose Commission Directive (EU) 2025/145 as regards the listing of pests of plants on fruit plant propagating material and fruit plants intended for fruit production. Member States had to transpose this Directive into national law by 31 July 2025. The Directive aims to align the rules for marketing fruit plant material and fruit plants for production with plant health rules. Full implementation of the legislation is key to continuing harmonisation among all Member States in the area of plant health. The Commission is therefore sending letters of formal notice to Denmark, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria and Slovakia, which now have two months to complete their transposition and notify their measures to the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.