EU warns eight nations on gas competiton

(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission warned eight member-states on Monday to open their energy markets in the next two months or risk legal proceedings at the European Court of Justice.

"Opening energy markets for competition is key to competitiveness of the EU economy as a whole," the European Union Commission said in a statement.

Eight countries --- Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia and Estonia had done nothing to conform with with the EU effort to diversify energy markets, Marlene Holzner, a spokeswoman to Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said.

EU states have until March 3 to put themselves in line with a set of EU directives designed to give consumers several options for their gas and power needs.

The Commission said it was analysing responses from nations "which have only partially transposed the directives, and will decide in the coming months on appropriate further steps."

In order to meet the directives, EU nations are to have introduced legislation to separate gas and electric production from distribution.

The separation is to have taken affect by the end of this year.

In September, the Commission began anti-trust procedures against 18 states including major gas consumers France, Britain and Spain.