The European Commission has sent requests for information under EU infringement procedure to twenty EU Member States which have not yet notified measures to implement in full new EU telecoms rules into national law. If they fail to reply in two months, the Commission can send the Member States concerned a formal request to implement the legislation, and ultimately refer them to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The European Parliament and Council formally adopted the revised EU rules on telecoms networks and services in 2009. The institutions agreed that the rules must be implemented into the national laws of the 27 Member States by 25th May 2011. However, most of countries have not yet notified measures to implement in full new EU telecoms rules into national law.

The European Commission has decided to start legal action against the 20 Member States which have not sent the information yet. While legislative processes are ongoing in all EU Member States and a majority of them have informed the Commission of some implementation measures, only seven Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden and the UK) have notified the Commission that they have implemented the new rules in full. Swift and consistent implementation of these rules is a priority of the Digital Agenda for Europe.

Businesses and consumers get new rights regarding phones, mobile services and Internet access thanks to the new rules. These include the right for customers to switch telecoms operators in just one day without changing their phone number, the right to more clarity about the services customers are offered and better protection of personal data online. New oversight powers for the European Commission and regulatory powers for the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) will create more regulatory certainty and help telecoms operators to grow in a single, pan-European telecoms market.