MEPs to back rights for telecom customers

Date: 11/09/1997

By Peter Chapman

THE EU's tangled web of telecoms legislation in preparation for full liberalisation in January 1998 will come under attack from MEPs in Strasbourg next week.

The criticism will surface when the European Parliament debates Commission guidelines on how telecoms operators should finance their universal service obligations.

Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Wim van Velsen will warn that the patchwork of measures for ensuring vulnerable consumers are guaranteed a basic telecoms service in a liberalised market could cause confusion.

“For example, the level of universal service is specified in the ONP (Open Network Provision) voice-telephony directive, the financing of universal services is covered in the interconnection directive and the full competition directive also contains certain provisions in respect of universal service,” says his report.

The Parliament will also give its second reading next week to the Commission's draft directive on voice-telephony, which will govern the rights of customers and the obligations, including universal service, to be met by providers of voice-telephony services from 1 January 1998.

British Socialist MEP Mel Read will call for amendments to boost the rights of disabled users and those in areas with 'special social needs', and to ensure that rules governing the affordability of basic services are defined at the European rather than member state level.

EU governments have been reluctant so far to support the level of consumer protection urged by Read. If other MEPs back her conclusions, the final shape of the directive is likely to be thrashed out later this year in conciliation talks between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers.