The European Commission has increased pressure on EU member states to translate European telecom rules into national regulation, only weeks after expiration of a deadline for member states to do so.
In letters to 20 member states the EC asks for…
The European Commission has increased pressure on EU member states to translate European telecom rules into national regulation, only weeks after expiration of a deadline for member states to do so.
In letters to 20 member states the EC asks for information on the implementation of the EU rules, which would give more rights to consumers and customers. These requests for information are the first formal step under EU infringement procedures.
The EC said only few member states have notified their measures in time by deadline on 25 May, namely Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden and the UK, while all other states failed to do so.
The 20 states who received a letter from the EC now have two months to get back to the Brussels based regulator. If they fail to reply or if the reply is insufficient, the cases could ultimately be referred to the European Court of Justice.
EC spokesperson Jonathan Todd commented in a press briefing in Brussels that the failure of the member states was “the source of great disappointment.”
He noted however that many of them were well advanced in their preparations to adopt the EU directive. “The best outcome would be that they complete the necessary procedures to adopt the legislation in question as quickly as possible so the Commission does not have to pursue the legal proceedings any further,” he said.
Under the new rules to be implemented by all EU member states, users of telecom services will receive new rights regarding phones, mobile services and internet access.
These include the right for customers to switch telecoms operators in just one day without changing their phone number, the right to more clarity about the services customers are offered and better protection of personal data online. In that context European institutions, such as the EC and the recently created Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) also gain new oversight and regulatory powers.
