16 EU Members Slow to Implement New Telecoms Rules
25 November 2011Yesterday the European Commission has urged 16 member states to fully implement the new EU telecoms rules into national law.
Yesterday the European Commission has urged 16 member states to fully implement the new EU telecoms rules into national law.
The European Parliament (EP) yesterday approved a major overhaul of EU telecoms rules, which will strengthen the rights of phone users and internet users and boost competition among telecom operators, according to the EP.
The EC published new legislative texts on the EU Telecoms Reform package to take account of the European Parliament vote of 24 September 2008 and the ongoing discussions in the Council.In November 2007, the Commission made proposals for the reform of the EU Telecoms rules, designed to create a Single EU Telecoms Market with improved rights for consumers and businesses, more competition and investment to boost the take-up of cross-border services and wireless high-speed broadband for all.
The European Competitive Telecoms Association has welcomed the proposals from the European Parliament to amend the EU Telecoms Framework, but warned that many of the amendments approved by the Parliament’s Industry Committee on 7 July protect and favor dominant firms at the expense of competition in the telecoms sector.
In a speech delivered after the gathering of EU Telecoms Ministers in Luxembourg, EC Commissioner Mrs. Viviane Reding said that there is a consensus about the need to maintain and strengthen competition in the European telecoms market and that all ministers see the need to ensure more regulatory consistency.