The European Commission has started 40 infringement procedures against 19 member states, including Romania, which have incorrectly implemented the EU asylum rules.

The 19 countries haven’t informed the EC what measures they took at national level to fully transpose the EU Directive on the reception conditions for people who seek asylum. This sets minimum standards for receiving those who ask for international protection. The countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Slovenia.

As Europe is currently facing the biggest wave of refugees and asylum seekers since the World War II, several member states avoided taking on responsibility and didn’t respect the EU rules, such as registering migrants and processing the asylum requests in the first member state where a migrant arrives.

Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said on September 23 that the Government was working on solving those issues signaled by the EC as soon as possible.

editor@romania-insider.com