WRITTEN QUESTION E-3030/02 by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Overpriced mobile-telephone roaming services.
Date: 2002-10-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: competition, consumer protection, prices, regulation of telecommunications, telephone, unlawful agreement

C 222 E/38

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

Since February 2002, and after the 9th EDF Notification letter to the Government of the Sudan on
the Commission started the policy dialogue with the Sudanese partners for the
22 January 2002,
preparation of
the Country Strategy Paper (CSP). On 21 October the CSP received an unanimous
favourable opinion of the EDF Committee. A Commission decision on the CSP is expected during
November 2002.

In 2002 the Union-Sudan dialogue has been based on monthly meetings between the Union Heads of
Mission based in Khartoum and the Government of Sudan, in which the Commissions’ Head of Delegation
to the Sudan participates. At this stage, the progress achieved in the dialogue is being evaluated by the
Union Missions in Khartoum and in Union capitals. The conclusions of this assessment will be made
public in due course.

The Union is also preparing a Troïka mission to Khartoum planned for December 2002, to which the
Commission will be fully associated. During this mission, an assessment of progress achieved in the 2002
commitments in the areas of democracy and rule of law, human rights and the peace process will be made
together with the Government.

(2003/C 222 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3030/02

by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Overpriced mobile-telephone roaming services

(23 October 2002)

For some time now the Commission has been investigating the roaming services which telephone
companies offer their clients when the latter travel abroad.

In particular, it is suspected that those companies are engaging in collusive practices in order to keep
charges for such services artificially high.

What action is the Commission intending to take in order to outlaw such practices?

How can the Commission’s investigations be speeded up with a view to ensuring that users no longer
incur excessive expense?

How soon will the people of Europe be able to enjoy fairly-priced roaming services?

What compensation can be made available to the users affected?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2002)

The Commission began its investigations into mobile international roaming markets at the end of 1999
and carried out an in-depth inquiry into the sector. In the Working Document on the Sector Inquiry,
published in December 2000 on Directorate General Competition’s website (1), it was found that market
concentration was high, both wholesale and retail prices were high and rising and these prices appeared to
bear no relation to cost. The likely competition concerns identified were excessive pricing and collusion.

As part of the Commission’s actions, it conducted in July 2001, surprise inspections at the premises of the
mobile operators in Germany and the United Kingdom, where the situation appeared to be particularly
serious. Since then, it has been analysing the information collected and has requested detailed information
from operators and others. The Commission is looking to take concrete action in the near future but does
not want at this stage to anticipate the outcome of the investigation nor the companies involved.

Since the Commission opened its inquiry, some operators have begun to offer single rate schemes, but
these have been at price levels which are very high.
there is still
considerable scope for operators to reduce their prices significantly.

It would therefore appear that

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/39

Ultimately price reductions can happen in one of three ways: the operators can lower prices themselves,
the Commission can take action under the competition rules, or roaming can become subject to sector-
specific regulation in each Member State. Regulation of international roaming is available as a regulatory
remedy under Directive 2002/21/EC (2) (part of the new Community regulatory framework for electronic
communications), in the event that national regulators find there is a lack of effective competition in the
national market for international roaming services. However, at this stage it is not yet clear what measures
national regulatory authorities will take to ensure that consumers using their mobile phones abroad benefit
fully from a European-wide market.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/antitrust/others/sector_inquiries/roaming/working_document_on_initial_

results.pdf.

(2) Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory

framework for electronic communications networks (‘Framework Directive’) (cid:1) OJ L 108, 24.4.2002.

(2003/C 222 E/044)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3033/02

by Marco Pannella (NI) to the Commission

(23 October 2002)

Subject: Vietnam: nine-year prison sentence for a Montagnard who sought political asylum in Cambodia

Official sources within the Vietnamese Government announced a few days ago that Rlan Loa, a 38-year-
old Vietnamese citizen belonging to the Jarai (Montagnard) ethnic minority has been sentenced to 9 years’
imprisonment for allegedly fleeing abroad in order to organise resistance against the government.

In December 2001, Rlan Loa sought political asylum in Cambodia. He was arrested by the Cambodian
police in January 2002 and handed over to the Vietnamese police without having been allowed to contact
the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Cambodia, in clear breach of the UN Convention
of Refugees, which has been ratified by the Cambodian Government.

Rlan Loa is one of thousands of Montagnards who have sought and are still seeking refuge in Cambodia
from the repressive action (which includes the imposition of martial law) taken against the Montagnards
since the peaceful demonstrations held in February 2001. Following the granting of political refugee status
to approximately 1 000 Montagnards (almost all of whom were subsequently transferred to the United
States) by the UNHCR in Cambodia, the exodus is continuing while the Cambodian and Vietnamese
governments are continuing to violate international law on the protection of political refugees.

What action does the Commission intend to take vis-à-vis the Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities with
a view to securing the release of Rlan Loa and ensuring respect for the Convention on Refugees which
Cambodia has ratified?

Does it intend to enforce the provisions stipulating that respect for human rights and democratisation are
preconditions for the implementation of the cooperation agreements with Cambodia and Vietnam?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2002)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answers to his previous written questions,
P-2650/02 (1) and E-2845/02 (2).