“Following extensive control procedures carried out in 2022, the Commission has now decided to file actions against Portugal and Slovakia with the CJEU, given their continued non-compliance”, the European Commission announced in a statement.

The Commission maintained that in the Portuguese case the action was brought “due to the rules on late payment that cover various levels of public administration”.

Following the launch of the procedure in 2017, Brussels “followed the situation closely, but considers that not enough improvements have been registered, especially in the two autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira”.

According to the rules of the Late Payments Directive, public authorities in the 27 Member States have to pay invoices within 30 days (60 days for public hospitals).

The Commission added that in the current context – of recovery from the losses resulting from the pandemic, inflation and the consequences of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine – “companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, depend even more on regular payments to be able to operate” and ensure the job.

“Delayed payments have a negative impact on companies, as they impede growth, undermine resilience and can block efforts to be more ecological and digital”, warned that European institution.