FILE PHOTO: European Union flags fly outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday said it had opened an infringement procedure against Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia for failing to correctly adopt EU directives for fair trial rights in criminal proceedings.
The infringement concerns a failure to correctly transpose the directive on the strengthening of the presumption of innocence and the right to be present at the trial in criminal proceedings, the commission said.
Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia now have two months to take the necessary measures to address the shortcomings identified by the commission.
If their decision does not satisfy the commission, it may decide to send a reasoned opinion.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
