Press Release

08/07/2008

Telecoms consumers to benefit from new rights following Parliament vote. Malcolm Harbour MEP

The European Parliament's Internal Market Committee has adopted a package of amendments enhancing the rights of telecoms consumers.

The Committee's Rapporteur for the proposal, Malcolm Harbour MEP, said: "The strong support for this report shows our determination to enhance consumer rights as electronic communications offerings become more diverse and complex. We have significantly improved the Commission proposal, and we hope that the Member Governments will back our line."

"We have also resisted any proposals to add copyright enforcement provisions - these have no place in this Directive", he added.

Highlights of the Committee's proposals are:

• Operators must inform users, before contracts are concluded, about any restrictions on access to services (such as Skype);
• Where handsets or other terminal equipment are included free, or at a subsidised price, operators must inform the users of the cost of terminating the agreement early;
• Making it easier to switch providers by quicker porting of an existing number or by applying a maximum contract length of 24 months;
• Enhancing the availability of clear pricing information, and enabling independent companies to use the data for consumer information;
• Promoting the European 112 emergency call number across the EU. This is complementary to existing national emergency numbers.

Disabled users will enjoy equivalent access to communications, and have special terminal equipment which has been significantly enhanced.

The Committee also addressed the need to keep the Internet open by empowering the regulators to intervene if a carrier discriminated against a particular service provider - for example, by blocking or slowing traffic.

Public interest issues affecting communications users were also addressed by the Committee. Regulators would be given powers enabling public service messages to be delivered to users. These service messages could include security protection advice, and advice on harmful or unlawful uses of the Internet, such as distribution of child pornography. Copyright infringement and any associated penalties could also be included.

The Committee also approved, without a separate vote, a set of amendments from the Civil Liberties Committee on data protection. These include significant new requirements for operations to inform subscribers in the event of any breach of their personal data through electronic networks.

For further information:
Malcolm Harbour MEP, Tel: +33-3-88-175132
Pedro López de Pablo, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-475-493352

Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.