EESC wil betere bescherming van consumentenrechten en een grotere rol voor de burgermaatschappij (en)

CES/08/64

2 July 2008

High-level debate on the "Telecoms Reform Package":

EESC welcomes European Commission i's proposals but asks for strengthened protection of consumer rights and privacy and for more civil society participation in consultation and adoption processes

On 2 July 2008, practically a few days before the first reading at the European Parliament's ITRE and IMCO committees of the so-called "telecoms reform package", the EESC's opinion on the package was presented and discussed, together with the Committee of the Regions' opinion on the same subject, at a high profile event. The package puts together the different reforms proposed by the Commission for the regulatory framework concerning the EU's electronic communications networks.

The event was co-chaired by János Tóth (Group III, Various Interests, Hungary), President of the EESC's Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN) and Keith Walters (First Vice President of the Committee of the Regions' EDUC Commission). In his opening remarks, Mr Tóth stressed that "during the ten last years our Committee has dealt with issues related to electronic communications and their regulatory framework in more than fifteen opinions, supporting the creation of an open and competitive single information space as a key challenge for Europe, while protecting the interests of the European citizen".

Invited speakers included the European Commissioner with responsibility for telecoms, Vivianne Reding i, the European Parliament rapporteurs Catherine Trautmann (ESP, FR - ITRE Committee) and Malcolm Harbour (EPP, UK – IMCO Committee), as well as Emmanuel Gabla, Director for IT & Information Society, French Ministry of Economy, Finances & Industry. The two Committees' rapporteurs, Bernardo Hernandez Bataller (EESC, Group III, Spain), and Marc Schaefer (CoR) introduced their respective opinions.

Edgardo Iozia (EESC, Group II, Italy – President of the Study Group that helped draft the EESC opinion) stated "this is a positive opinion but we are concerned that provisions regarding a consultation mechanism on universal service in Member States to protect consumer interests should specifically refer to the role of organised civil society when it comes to participation in the process of adoption by the competent supranational bodies in the EU ".

Thomas McDonogh (EESC, Group I, IE), a member of the same study group, confirmed that "the EESC endorses the Commission's goal of further opening up the telecommunications markets to competition and boosting investment in high-speed networks, as well as furthering the Internet of the future and optimised spectrum management in the internal market," pointing out that "this is in the common interests of consumers and businesses which need access to high performance telecommunications networks and services. However, the specific provisions proposed for this sector do not cover certain significant issues affecting the efficient and transparent implementation of free competition between operators and service providers in the pan-European market, or certain substantive aspects of user rights."

In his concluding remarks, Bernardo Hernandez Bataller stated that "the EESC welcomes the goal of enabling users to derive maximum benefit from the electronic communications market, without distortion or restriction of competition, but whilst encouraging efficient investment in infrastructure and fostering innovation. Nevertheless, in our opinion we also highlight the need to improve legislative consistency, reinforce protection of consumer rights and privacy, and introduce binding measures for disabled end-users in terms of universal service. Our opinion also points out that simplified administrative procedures, leading to the reduction of costs and increased flexibility are expected in spectrum management, while we also call for intervention measures, with public funding, especially from local authorities, to boost the future roll-out of new generation networks".