EU approves Telecoms reforms

The European Parliament today approved a major overhaul of EU telecoms rules, which are claimed to strengthen the rights of phone and internet users.

To the dismay of civil liberties groups, the EU's amendment 138/46 was reworded so extensively, it has opened the doors to national three-strike legislation for illegally file sharing.

The EU said strong internet access safeguards were still maintained in the final text of the Directive.

Mr Harbour, Rapporteur on part of the telecoms package, said: "There has been a great deal of scaremongering that this package would create provisions for internet users who infringe copyright laws to have their IP addresses blocked.

"This was never the case as the package was intended to enhance consumer rights, not to enforce copyright on the internet."

The wording of the Directive now says that internet users cannot be cut off from the internet arbitrarily or immediately. Any case against someone accused of online copyright infringement must be heard and sufficient proof provided that rules have been breached.

Other new rules include improving consumer rights, eg by allowing customers to have their mobile or landline telephone number transferred within one working day when changing operators.

In order to strengthen personal data and privacy protection, companies will be required to inform users if a breach occurs. User consent must also be obtained before companies can download cookies to people’s PCs.

The new rules will need to be implemented in national legislation by 24 May 2011.