When should EU Member States implement directives?
EU directives specify an implementation date by which time the directive must be transposed into the national law of each EU Member State. Normally implementation is set for a specific date between two and three years after agreement of a directive. Directives are often formulated in fairly general terms (setting minimum legal requirements to be achieved), and this leaves scope for variation between different national implementing provisions. Importantly, Member States are not permitted to reduce the level of worker protection that may already exist in their national laws when implementing EU laws.
