REPORTS
Greece referred to the CJEU for failure to provide updated flood risk and flood hazard maps – infringement: INFR(2021)2254
Each Member State of the European Union must fully apply EU law. The body responsible for identifying possible violations of EU law is the European Commission. Where a Member State does not apply EU law and breaches its obligations under the EU Treaties, the European Commission may open a formal infringement procedure under Articles 258 and 260 TFEU (see details on the infringement procedure here).
As mentioned in the November infringements package and the corresponding Press Release, the European Commission has decided to refer Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to provide updated flood risk and flood hazard maps as required by Directive 2007/60/EC (on the assessment and management of flood risks). The directive obliges Member States to review, and if necessary, update, flood hazard maps and flood risk maps by 22 December 2019 and to communicate those reviews and updates to the Commission by 22 March 2020.
As the Commission did not receive the required information from Greece, it sent a letter of formal notice to Greece in February 2022, followed by a reasoned opinion in September 2022. To date, Greece has still not complied with its obligations under the Directive as the existing maps have still not been reviewed.
The Commission considers that efforts by the Greek authorities have to date been unsatisfactory and insufficient and is therefore referring Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union. More information is in the press release.
Information about this procedure and the European Commission’s decisions on the infringement in question can be found on the European Commission’s website by entering INFR(2021)2254 in the field “Infringement case number”.
The application of EU law is an obligation of the Member States of the European Union. If infringements of EU law are identified, the European Commission may take a series of actions against the Member State concerned to ensure the correct and full application of EU law by opening infringement proceedings under Articles 258 and 260 TFEU.
However, in this case, Greece failed to provide updated flood risk and flood hazard maps, as required by Directive 2007/60/EC.
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