Double requirements! EC extends process in opposition to Germany

The Brussels portal Politico describes a case of infringement proceedings launched by the European Fee in opposition to Germany in 2008 for violating the principles of the frequent market; This raises the query of whether or not the delay in procedures — that are normally carried out at a speedy tempo — doesn’t point out the existence of double requirements: one for the most important EU nations and one other for the opposite, Politico wonders.

It is a frequent basic market case. German states have to forestall overseas corporations (Ikea and Decathlon) from opening shops on their territory, prompting an investigation by the fee. However whereas Brussels normally acts shortly in such circumstances, this case has disappeared into the system, elevating questions on whether or not the bloc’s largest member states have completely different guidelines.

– We research politics.

Ikea first filed a grievance in opposition to Germany in 2008, adopted by an identical grievance from Decathlon in 2014 after two German states blocked the opening of lots of of shops. The businesses argued that Germany violated the best to freedom of multinational enshrined within the EU Treaties and the Companies Directive. The Fee agreed and initiated infringement proceedings. A second letter of formal notification was despatched in 2015. Nothing since then

Provides the portal.

Finish of proceedings

Final yr, the EU Ombudsman discovered that the Fee had waited too lengthy to open the subsequent section of the investigation into the case. To that finish — based on info obtained by Politico — the Election Fee introduced a whole finish to the election course of.

Germany stated in March it will change its nationwide regulation, the fee says. On the similar time, the Fee continues to keep up that “German Länder planning guidelines comprise restrictions on freedom of multinational”. Nevertheless, Brussels “is free to resolve when to provoke infringement proceedings or refer the case to the CJEU”.

– experiences the portal, citing fragments of the EC’s solutions to its questions.

All this raises the query why the fee didn’t proceed with the investigation

Politics ends.

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mly/PAP