INTERNAL MARKET : INFRINGEMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST FOUR COUNTRIES.

The European Commission decided, on 14 May, to continue its infringement proceedings against four member states for failure to comply with EU internal market rules in two areas, financial markets and free movement of persons.

Portugal will be brought before the EU Court of Justice for its failure to notify measures for the transposition of the Eligible Assets Directive, for which the deadline was 23 March 2008. The directive aims to guarantee uniform application of the UCITS Directive 85/611/EEC on investment funds.

A letter of formal notice will be sent to Greece for its continued failure to recognise other member states' optician diplomas following the judgement of the Court of Justice of 4 December 2008 in Case C-84/07. Greece still refuses to recognise Italian optician diplomas awarded under a franchise agreement concluded between Italian and Greek training institutes. The holders of such diplomas are still unable to practice their profession in Greece.

The Commission will send...