Article 33 Limitation periods for the enforcement of penalties

This article establishes the time limits within which the Commission can enforce its penalty decisions, specifically those taken under Articles 30 and 31 concerning fines and periodic penalty payments.

It sets a 5-year enforcement limitation period and then details the specific circumstances that either interrupt that period (resetting the clock entirely) or suspend it (pausing it temporarily).

It acts as a companion to Article 32, which governs the limitation period for imposing penalties, whereas Article 33 governs what happens after a penalty decision has already been made final.

Important points:

• The Commission has 5 years from the date a decision becomes final to enforce fines or periodic penalty payments imposed under Articles 30 and 31.
• The 5-year clock restarts each time it is interrupted, which can occur through notification of a decision varying the penalty amount or any enforcement action taken by the Commission or a Member State at the Commission's request.
• The limitation period is suspended, rather than reset, for as long as a time to pay is granted or enforcement is suspended by a decision of the Court of Justice or a national court.