Brussels, 05/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 5 May, the European Commission launched infringement procedures in the telecommunications sector against Italy, Bulgaria and Romania.
- Italy: the European Court of Justice ruled against Italy for not respecting its obligations regarding implementation of the emergency 112 number. Italy has been taken to the ECJ again and could be fined. In January 2009, the ECJ decided that Italy, despite Commission injunctions, had not provided full caller location information for emergency services, a procedure that all other member states had implemented. Member States have an obligation to ensure that when a person dials Europe's single emergency number (112) from a mobile phone, details of his or her location are sent to the emergency services. Following the ECJ's decision and Italy's failure to take action, the Commission initiated new proceedings. Following a warning letter and a reasoned opinion, Italy informed the Commission that it intended to put the required mechanism in place but nothing definitive was actually done. The Commission believes that Italy has committed a serious infringement to EU legislation that is likely to endanger the lives and wellbeing of EU citizens. The Commission is therefore proposing that the ECJ fines Italy €39,608 per day for the period up to 15 January 2009, the date of the first edition, to the date of the second. It also says that if the country has still not complied it will be fined €178,560 per day. The definitive amounts will be decided by the ECJ
- Bulgaria: the Commission has decided to initiate the second stage (the sending of a reasoned opinion) with regard to the infringement procedure it opened against Bulgaria, which is still failing to guarantee that fixed-line phone customers can keep their phone number when changing operator. Bulgaria was given up on to 1 January 2009 to comply with the ruling. Despite a warning letter (the first stage of the proceedings), the country still not complied and if it fails to respond over the next two months in a satisfactory way, it could be pursued by the European Court of Justice and a third and final stage of the procedure will be initiated.
- Romania: the Commission has sent a second warning letter (first stage of the procedure) to Romania regarding the independence of its regulatory authority, ANCOM. It is calling on the Romanian authorities to provide it with further information regarding an emergency measure focusing on the reorganisation of the regulator, adopted by Romania following a first letter sent on 29 January 2009. The Commission has not been informed of the approval of this demand by the Romanian parliament and would like the country to confirm whether it has amended its legislation, before putting a halt to this procedure. (I.L./transl.fl)