Luxembourg, 04/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Third (enlarged) Chamber of the European Court of Justice, presided by Claus Gulmann, has found Belgium guilty of failing to correctly transpose the European Directive of 1997 (97/33/EC) on telecommunications (universal service). The European Commission stated aid to the Belgian press for telephone services was incompatible with European law. In its ruling, the Court points out that the European Commission is examining the Belgian law of 3 December 1999 which should put an end to the infringement noted earlier. According to the terms of the bill, the preferential tariffs granted to certain Belgian dailies and magazines, as well as to the Belga Agency, may no longer be financed by contributions from other operators but by the Belgian State under its general interest missions. Furthermore, Belgium has taken steps to agree with all the provisions of the directive.