The European Commission has finally put a document on the table with regard to the cost of intra-EU international calls. Contrary to what the European Parliament was calling for (see EUROPE 11875), it is not proposing to limit surcharges and will only oblige service providers to inform consumers about their prices.
It should be recalled that the Parliament and Council are currently in the middle of their inter-institutional negotiations on the draft directive introducing an electronic communications code. This text was presented in September 2016 and recasts the 283 pages of the framework directive of 2002, the "authorisation", "access" and "universal service" directives (see EUROPE 11624). So far, six trialogues have been organised and a seventh is planned for 25 April.
Questions still pending
There are currently several questions still pending such as those related to co-investment (article 74) and universal services (article 79). There is also the question of services not based on numbers: should they be covered by the directive on the code or the one on digital content, which is also currently being discussed?
The negotiators will also have to reach a common position on the two provisions called for by the European Parliament but which have not been included in the Commission's proposal: the reverse 112 number (which would allow the national authorities to sound the alarm using geo-localisation tools to citizens in the event of a major emergency or imminent disaster) and the abolition of surcharges for intra-EU international calls (those made from countries of residency to other EU countries).
Intra-EU calls
On this question, as we previously announced (see EUROPE 11986), the European Commission put a working paper on the table dated 10 April. EUROPE has been able to obtain a copy of this paper. The paper introduces an obligation to provide information about calls whose prices exceed those included in Regulation 531/2012 on roaming on public mobile communications networks (more than €0.19 per minute for the call, €0.06 per message and €0.20 for every megabyte). In these examples, the Commission proposes that, “providers of publicly available number-based interpersonal communications services shall provide their consumers with personalised pricing information on the applicable per minute price (including VAT) immediately prior to connecting the intra-EU call” in automatic voice messages. It adds that, “Providers of publicly available number-based interpersonal communications services shall inform, regularly and free of charge, their consumers who have made intra-EU calls, about any of their available alternative tariff offers which include intra-EU calls without any surcharge on the domestic price or at a reduced price per minute”.
According to one source close to the dossier, this proposal should help assuage the concerns of member states, particularly because it explains that the measures are addressed to consumers and not to businesses. Nonetheless, it is not expected to satisfy the European Parliament, which was appealing for a new regulation in this area.
These subjects will be on the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU (Coreper) meeting agenda on 20 April. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)