Intellectual property/telecommunications: Luxembourg delays Telecoms Directive

United Kingdom

The Commission has allowed Luxembourg extra time to implement the Directive on full competition in the telecommunications markets. This Directive obliges Member States to abolish all exclusive or special rights for the provision of telecoms services except voice telephony. Luxembourg must now abolish exclusive rights currently granted to its State telecoms company, Entreprise des Postes et Télécommunications (EPT), by 1 July 1998.

The Commission accepted that there is a need for EPT to update its billing procedures, but disagreed with EPT that delaying the introduction would harm consumers.