Press Release: Competition: Commission requests Greece to adopt new framework for broadcasting services

The European Commission has formally requested Greece to take the appropriate national measures regarding broadcasting services in order to comply with a Court of Justice ruling of 14 April 2005. The Court ruling confirmed that Greece had failed to transpose within the deadline the electronic communications liberalisation Directive 2002/77/EC. The Commission has asked Greece to reply before the end of December 2006 to its request, which takes the form of a ‘reasoned opinion’ under EC Treaty infringement procedures for failure to respect a Court ruling (Article 228). If Greece does not inform the Commission that it has complied with the Court ruling, the Commission may refer Greece to the Court for a second time and request the Court to impose fines on Greece (periodic penalty payments, lump sums or both - see MEMO/05/482).