Action brought on 3 May 2024 – European Commission v Republic of Bulgaria
(Case C-329/24)
Language of the case: Bulgarian
Parties
Applicant: European Commission (represented by: N. Nikolova and E. Sanfrutos-Cano, acting as Agents)
Defendant: Republic of Bulgaria
Form of order sought
The Commission claims that the Court should:
declare that, by failing to fulfil its obligations concerning the review, updating and reporting by 22 March 2022 of the river basin management plans referred to in Article 15 of Directive 2000/60/EC 1 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, the Republic of Bulgaria has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 13(7) and Article 15(1) of Directive 200/60/EC;
order the Republic of Bulgaria to pay the costs.
Pleas in law and main arguments
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy aims to ensure good status in terms of quantity and quality of European water bodies such as rivers and lakes. According to the directive, the Member States must review, update and report their river basin management plans (RBMPs) every six years. Those plans, which include a programme of measures, are essential in order to achieve and maintain good status of water bodies, as required by the directive.
The Member States were obliged to review and update their RBMPs by 22 December 2021 and to send copies to the Commission by 22 March 2022.
Since it did not receive a copy of the Republic of Bulgaria’s RBMPs within the prescribed period. The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to the Republic of Bulgaria on 15 February 2023. On 28 September 2023 the Commission sent it a reasoned opinion. Despite this, transposing measures have still not been adopted by the Republic of Bulgaria or submitted to the Commission.
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1 OJ 2000 L 327, p. 1.