Tension is palpable in Brussels just days from the new interinstitutional negotiation session on the digital communications code scheduled for Wednesday 25 April.
Some fear that the question of intra-European international calls will cause gridlock during talks.
The European Parliament trusts there will be a cap on prices while the Council of the EU is firmly opposed to this. On 10 April, the European Commission had tabled a proposal of text in favour of better consumer information (see EUROPE 120002).
According to rumours doing the rounds, the Bulgarian presidency of the Council “is changing its approach” regarding intra-EU calls. Another source denied such rumours. “The aim of next week’s trialogue will be to sketch out the broad lines of the political agreement with Parliament. We have a realistic mandate which respects the sensitivity of member states”, the presidency said on the defensive.
The other issues still outstanding concern governance, the powers of the Commission, questions of security linked to communication confidentiality, and the rights of end users. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)