The European Commission has given Portugal two months to fully transpose a directive on information exchange between member states’ law enforcement authorities, described as “essential for combating cross-border crime.”
As part of the March infringement package announced today, the European Commission said it has issued a reasoned opinion to Portugal, France and Bulgaria for failing to notify the Commission of the transposition of a directive on information sharing between national authorities.
According to the Commission, the directive aims to “strengthen the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offences in the European Union, ensuring that police officers from one member state have access to the same information as officers from other member states.”
“The directive establishes organisational and procedural rules for sharing information between EU member states’ law enforcement authorities, including through the creation of a single point of contact,” the Commission said, arguing that its transposition “facilitates rapid and effective cooperation between security forces, essential for combating cross-border crimes driven by digitalisation, thereby strengthening the security of EU citizens.”
Portugal, France and Bulgaria have only communicated the partial transposition of the directive’s measures and now have two months to complete the process. Failure to do so could lead the Commission to refer the cases to the Court of Justice of the EU, requesting the imposition of financial penalties.
A reasoned opinion constitutes the second phase of an infringement procedure, following the sending of a formal notification letter.
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In the same infringement package, the Commission also announced a separate procedure against Portugal — along with 18 other member states — for failing to submit, by December 31, a draft National Building Renovation Plan (NBRP). The Commission describes these plans as a “strategic and essential tool” for transforming member states’ building stock into high-performance, energy-efficient and decarbonised assets. Countries have been given two months to respond.
