The European Commission on Friday launched a new infringement case against Cyprus, saying the Republic has yet to incorporate the EU’s energy efficiency directive 2023/1791 into national law.

The directive, adopted in 2023, gave member states a two-year deadline to transpose it, which expired on October 11. Letters initiating infringement proceedings were sent to 26 member states, including Austria, Denmark, Greece and Poland.

With the letter, member states now have a two-month grace period to respond and fulfil their obligations.

If a country fails to comply, the Commission may escalate the case to the second stage of the procedure – a reasoned opinion – granting another two months to meet the directive’s requirements.

The directive sets a binding target to reduce overall EU energy consumption by 11.7 per cent by 2030.

It also requires member states’ public sectors to lead by example by cutting their own energy use by 1.9 per cent annually and renovating at least 3 per cent of public buildings annually.

In addition, the directive supports the establishing of national information mechanisms, so-called “one-stop shops.”

These are described as “integrated services” for clean energy transition in buildings that provide free expertise and practical support on questions regarding energy efficiency strategies and renovations.

One-stop shops primarily target vulnerable households and those living in buildings with the poorest energy performance.

The Republic currently faces 16 active EU infringement procedures related to environmental issues, with some already having been escalated to the third stage of the EU Commission’s infringement procedure – the referral to the European Court of Justice.

An infringement procedure is launched when a member state fails to implement EU directives correctly or does not address a suspected violation of EU law.

The process begins with the Commission requesting detailed information from the member state, typically within two months.

If the Commission concludes that the country is still not meeting its obligations, it issues a reasoned opinion, formally calling for compliance.

If non-compliance persists, the Commission may refer the case to the European Court of Justice.

When a member state fails to communicate national measures transposing a directive on time, the Commission may also request that the court impose financial penalties.

If the court finds that a country has breached EU law, national authorities are obliged to take the necessary steps to comply with the ruling.