Brussels, 22/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the European Commission welcomed the fall in the cost of calls between telephone networks in the Community, and, on the initiative of Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, adopted a recommendation that gradually abolishes benchmark prices for interconnection fees between network operators. On that occasion, Mr. Liikanen declared: "Interconnection charges for call termination on fixed telecommunications networks have reduced considerably in the EU since the Commission issued its first benchmark price in 1998. The Recommendation was updated in 1999 and 2000, and as a result, prices for call termination to fixed networks in the EU are amongst the most competitive in the world. In the light of falling prices, the Commission has decided that it is no longer necessary to update the "best current practice" prices for call termination to fixed networks. These benchmark prices served to stimulate competition when the market was first liberalised in 1998, but now it is for the national regulatory authorities in the Member States to enforce the rules".