Press Release: Telecoms: Commission requests information from Spain on new charge on operators; closes infringement case on universal service

The European Commission decided on 18 March 2010 to send a formal request for information to Spain over a new charge imposed on telecoms operators to offset the ending of paid advertising by the Spanish public broadcaster RTVE (Radio Televisión Española). The Commission is concerned that this administrative charge, based on authorised operators' turnover, may be incompatible with EU law because it does not appear to be related to costs arising from regulatory supervision. The Commission position takes the form of a "letter of formal notice under EU infringement procedures (Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). Spain has two months to reply. The Commission has also closed an infringement case on financing the universal service after Spain modified its national law and launched a tender and a public consultation on a new way of designating universal service providers.