Euro crisis: EU parliament considers sanctions for laggards

The European Parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee on Tuesday was considering a proposal that would reintroduce tougher sanctions in the eurozone for countries that don’t stick to the budget rules and that refuse to implement economic reforms. MEP Corien Wortmann (EPP, the Netherlands) tells EUX.TV that the EPP group with its 265 members if fully in favour of a mechanism that reintroduces the sanctions in the Stability and Growth Pact that were thrown overboard by EU finance ministers back in 2003. The proposal calls for an integrated approach with measures that aim to encourage long-term productivity improvements. The key points about the new rules concern transparency, quality of service and the ability to switch operator. Together with national telecoms regulators, the Commission will spend 2011 closely looking at current market practices. At the end of 2011, Neelie Kroes will present the findings and will publicly name operators engaging in doubtful practices. She will be looking particularly closely for any instances of unannounced blocking or throttling of certain types of traffic, and any misleading advertising of broadband speeds.