Brussels, 06/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 6 April, the European Commission decided to close the infringement procedure, which it had opened in 2008, after Latvia took the necessary steps to comply with EU rules on the independence of the national telecoms regulators. Concretely, Latvia has transferred telecoms regulatory functions regarding radio frequencies and numbering from the Ministry of Transport to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. This now ensures a clear separation between the bodies which make telecoms rules and those which provide telecoms services, the Commission says. This separation, also known as structural separation, is essential to preserve the impartiality of national telecoms regulators, provided for in the European rules, guaranteeing fair regulation for consumers and businesses and maintaining competition. Cases relating to the independence of national telecoms regulators are still pending concerning Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia. (I.L./transl.rt)