The Spanish EU Presidency will push ahead a proposal to introduce guarantees to limit or control expenditure for all end-users of electronic communications services, as is already the case for telecoms roaming services (see 'Background').
A document obtained by EurActiv lists among possible measures the introduction of a "minimum degree of itemised billing," meaning a regularly updated account of expenses.
The paper also proposes that "users should be able to switch off certain type of calls" and that "different prepayment options should be offered to users".
Moreover, the interruption of services should be forbidden, except for free services, explains the document.
The code of rights of electronic communications' users should also guarantee a higher level of transparency, the availability of comparable information about the quality of services offered by different operators, better protection for consumers and easier dispute-resolution procedures.
Ministers will hold their first debate on the issue next Monday in Brussels. "It remains to be seen how these measures might be applied, and whether new legislation will be necessary as a result," a diplomatic source told EurActiv.
Optical fibre still out of the agenda
The complex issue of how to fund and regulate crucial investment in super-fast Internet is expected to be left out of the ministerial debate. "It is not on the agenda, and it is likely to be left aside," said an EU diplomat.
Member states lament that the Commission acquired de facto power to regulate the EU telecoms market by issuing non-binding regulations, which are applied as legally-binding rules despite not requiring the involvement of the European Parliament and the Council.
However, a long-awaited Commission regulation on so-called 'Next Generation Networks' (NGNs) access has not been adopted yet, after almost two years of behind-the-scenes negotiations. The Council keeps postponing the debate on the premise of waiting for the EU executive's document.
As a result, the debate is stalling and investment in a crucial sector to boost the EU's economic recovery is slowing down, as pointed out by the Commission itself in its recent report on the implementation of EU telecoms legislation.
Industry plea to improve regulation
Against this background and ahead of the EU Telecoms Council next week, emerging operators are urging the European institutions to address the regulatory shortfalls of national markets, in particular regarding rules on optical fibre deployment, which widely differ between member states.
In a report to be officially released next week, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) argues that "countries with the most effective telecoms regulation have open and competitive markets that foster higher broadband penetration," which in turn generates more jobs and boosts economic growth.
The Commission recommendation is seen by ECTA as "a key opportunity to eliminate inconsistencies fragmenting the single market and incentivise open and competitive fibre networks," therefore no more time should be lost, said ECTA Chairman Hubertus von Roenne.
The different regulations have a direct impact on prices. Consumers pay an average of €17 per month in the Netherlands - the country with the best regulation in place - for a basic broadband connection, but have to pay €34 for the same service in Poland and €61 in Portugal, according to figures contained in the last competitiveness report published by the Commission in mid-May.
BEREC seat to be Riga
Telecoms ministers are also expected to reach on Monday final agreement on the location of the newly-established body of European telecoms regulators, which is one of the cornerstones of the regulatory overhaul of the sector completed by the former commissioner in charge of telecoms, Viviane Reding.
"At the moment we have only one candidature and it is Riga," explained a Spanish Presidency source.
The only possible alternative is to have the seat of the body in Brussels in order to facilitate the work of an authority which brings together national representatives. But currently this option does not seem to represent a genuine challenge to the Latvian candidature.
