The European Court of Justice has sentenced Greece to a 3 million euro fine for waiting too long before implementing the EU directive that makes it easier for crime victims in the EU from another member State to get compensation. This regulation guarantees freedom of movement of individuals, protecting European citizens on the same level as residents in the country where the crime was committed.
Greece had already been sentenced in 2007, because the deadline for the implementation of the directive in question expired in July 2005. In October 2009, the European Commission found that Greece still had not followed up on the sentence and turned to the European Court once again, asking for a series of sanctions. On December 18, 2009 Greece implemented the regulation but the Court in Luxemburg considered the 29 month delay to adjust national legislation ”substantial”, leading to today’s verdict which takes the member State’s financial situation into account.
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