Telefonica has decided to lodge an appeal with the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against new rules capping the cost of intra-EU calls, according to unnamed sources cited by business daily Expansion. The operator has already confirmed that it will be adopting the new price caps set out in the European electronic communications code (EECC) for international calls and texts starting 15 May, but it will also be requesting the annulment of the measure on the grounds that intervening in a market that has been considered competitive sets a dangerous precedent.
Earlier this week Telefonica confirmed that starting 15 May 2019 the maximum price of calls from Movistar Spain fixed and mobile lines to another country in the European Economic Area (EEA) will be EUR 0.2178 for the set up, EUR 0.0121 for the first minute and EUR 0.2299 per minute for all subsequent minutes (including VAT). The cost of intra-EU SMS, meanwhile, will be EUR 0.0726 including VAT from all Fusion mobile lines. The new prices are an average of 70 percent lower than rates previously applied by operators in Spain.
The EECC’s price caps were strongly opposed by lobby group ETNO, which includes companies such as Telefonica, Orange and Deutsche Telekom, with the latter also having decided to appeal against the new rules on the same grounds, said the report.
