Late NAPers Get Wrists Slapped.

In early July, 2004 the European Commission (EC) posted the first written warnings to two European Union (EU) Member States, Greece and Italy, regarding their tardy National Allocation Plan (NAP) submittals. The action made good on a mid-May announcement by Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström that infringement proceedings would soon be brought against those countries among the original 15 EU Member States still lacking NAPs. The EC concluded its assessment of eight NAPs on July 7, 2004. Five of the NAPs, from Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden, were approved unconditionally.