Your EU rights as a telecoms user

Source: N. (Neelie) Kroes i, published on Thursday, February 21 2013.

A few years ago the EU agreed a package of measures for the EU telecoms market. Those delivered important new rules and rights for people who use landlines, mobiles and the Internet - and that means you!

As is usual for such measures, those needed to be put into national law by governments before taking effect. And now, the remaining few national governments have confirmed to the Commission that they have done this - meaning these new laws would now apply throughout the EU.

That’s great news. It means that all EU citizens would now benefit from significant new rights, like:

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    the right to change your phone provider in just one day, for both fixed and mobile, while keeping the same number - so you can shop around and pick the best deal for you, and switch over without lots of inconvenience and interruption;
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    shorter minimum contracts - so you don’t have to stay stuck to one provider forever; and
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    the right to be told if there is a “breach” to the personal data your phone company holds about you (rights, by the way, which I think need to be extended to a wider range of sectors, not just telecoms companies).

Those rights are in addition to other powers introduced at the same time, like new tools to help us promote competition. Those deliver yet greater choice and better deals across the EU - including so that the “termination rate” charges imposed when you call a mobile or fixed number better match the true cost.

Those are significant new EU rights for consumers - make sure you’re making the most of them! And if you aren’t getting the legal rights you’re entitled to - get in touch with the relevant national authorities to make sure they know about it. Or look here for more on what the EU does for your rights as a user of phone and telecoms services.

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