TELECOMMUNICATIONS : UNIVERSAL SERVICE: PORTUGAL BACK IN COURT.

The European Commission has asked the EU Court of Justice to fine Portugal for non-respect of Community legislation when deciding who should provide universal service. On 22 March, the Commission called for the court to impose the following fines on Lisbon: payments of a lump sum of 7,571 a day and a daily penalty of 38,984.

The case dates back to 2005, when the Commission launched a first infraction procedure against Portugal for not respecting the Directive 002/22/EC on universal service, which was amended in 2009 and which obliges member states to ensure that all users benefit from basic telecommunications services throughout their country.

The Commission says that the procedure of designating the universal service provider in Portugal does not conform to Articles 3 and 8 of said directive, which provides that the procedure should be efficient, objective, transparent and non-discriminatory. More specifically, it has reproached...