Brussels, 16/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has ended the proceedings it launched against France in 2005 on the appointment of providers of universal services. Under the EU universal services directive that guarantees minimum telecoms services for consumers (connection to telephone lines and working access to the internet), member states are not allowed to stop operators only wishing to cover some part of the country from being included in the state list of universal services providers. However, in France only operators providing services across the entire country used to be allowed to apply. France changed its rules after the European Court of Justice issued a ruling in June 2008 in which it backed the Commission's case against France and suppliers only covering part of the country are now allowed to apply for inclusion on the French list. (I.L./trans.fl)