Brussels, 08/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - The package of telecoms reforms came under the spotlight at the European Parliament on Tuesday 6 May 2008, where it is being examined under the co-decision procedure. Two committees are sharing the task - the Internal Market Committee is examining the privacy and e-communications and universal services directives while the Industry Committee is looking at the rest of the package.
Debate in the morning focussed on the draft reports on e-communications networks and services and the European e-communications market authority. The revised directive should take better account of investment in new generation networks, future e-communication networks that will supply all types of data and services by bundling them into packages, explained the rapporteur on this issue, Catherine Trautmann (PES, France), adding that it was important to encourage operators to invest in fibre optics networks in regions where there is no competition. Responsible for the report on the new EU e-communications authority which should, according to the European Commission's proposals, take over from the existing ENISA, Pilar del Castillo (EPP-ED, Spain) suggested that an impendent advisory group should be set up instead, known as BERT (Body of European Regulators of Telecommunications), that would work alongside, rather than replace, the European agency responsible for network and data security. Merging BERT with ENISA would run the risk, she said, of seriously mixing everything up and the agency's priorities have already been fixed. She argued that it was important not to create a bloated body that would be permanently seeking justification for its own existence.
In the afternoon, the Internal Market Committee organised a mini-hearing to canvas experts on the privacy and electronic communications directive and the universal service directive, both currently under examination. Consumers are changing in an ever more complex environment and it is getting difficult to compare prices and services for telecoms, pointed out Ed Richards of the British communications watchdog Ofcom. Consumer rights should be guaranteed, particularly regarding choice and transparency, because competitiveness in the industry means more than simply facilitating access to the market for operators, he explained. Edouard Barreiro of the 'UFC Que Choisir' organisation said that operators' cheaper all-in deals were deceptive because users usually ended up paying for services they did not use. It should be made easier and quicker for consumers to change mobile phone operator while keeping the same telephone number, and consumers should be given better information about the services they are paying for, added Barreiro. Bill Bush of the British Premier League stressed the quality of content provided for consumers, threatened by pirating and failure to respect copyright. Simon Juden of the Publishers' Association said that the EU had good copyright legislation but no disincentives for cybercrime. On measures to help the disabled access emergency services and equipment, harmonisation is required because at present, there is a patchwork of implementation of the planned measures, explained Steve Tyler of the European Disability Forum. It should be made easier for disabled people to access emergency helplines, he said, leaving Roland Doll from Deutsche Telekom to explain the measures put in place by operators to help the disabled. Access to the 112 emergency number was also discussed. Only 22% of the European population even knows that the number exists, said Demetrios Pyrros, president of EENA (European Emergency Number Association), urging the Commission to raise its visibility. Other issues, like better defence of consumers against spam texts and slamming (illegally changing operators without informing the customer), and consumer consultation mechanisms were also discussed. In their questions a number of MEPs, like Jacques Toubon (EPP-ED, France), stressed the difficult balance to be struck between consumer protection and the fact that suppliers need personal information to prevent crime and protect consumers (not allowing access to online gambling for gamblers on a casino's list of people who must not be allowed to gamble, for example). Bernadette Vergnaud (PES, France) raised the question of making consumers aware of digital pirating, and Arlene McCarthy (PES, UK) asked about operators blocking publication of illegal content. (I.L.)