Member states slow to transpose EU telecoms laws

One and a half years after it was due, Belgium, France, Greece,
Luxembourg and Spain are still dragging their feet on the EU
regulatory framework for electronic communications.

The Commission’s annual report on how member states comply with
EU telecoms rules has shown little progress in the way of
implementation by the former EU-15 and highlighted the first delays
by EU-10.

Of the six member states warned last April about their failure
to fully transpose the EU’s so-called regulatory framework for
electronic communications into national law, three (Belgium,
Greece, and Luxembourg) are still facing legal action by the
Commission and two (France and Spain) are yet to adopt secondary
implementation laws (see EURACTIV, ).

Incoming Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said
the “full and effective implementation” of the framework was
“essential” if Europe is to reach its Lisbon objectives” of
economic growth and competitiveness. She said the Commission is
currently “taking the necessary measures to remedy this”. 

“It is our priority to see EC law fully applied in all member
states”.

As to the EU’s ten newest member states, who had until 1 May
2004 to implement the package, eight are still lagging behind –
Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Slovenia and Slovakia (see EURACTIV, 7 May 2004).

No legal proceedings have yet been launched against these
countries. But while most have only to adopt secondary
implementation legislation to comply, the Czech Republic and
Estonia have still not adopted so-called primary, or basic,
legislation.

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