back to article Steelie Neelie orders Germany to sort out its mobe charges – or EU will go FULL LEGAL

Steelie Neelie has warned Germany – for the fifth time – that if it doesn’t sort out its proposals on mobile termination rates, the Commission will take legal action. The European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda may be on her way out, but Neelie Kroes has seemingly reached the end of her tether with the German telecoms …

  1. Semtex451

    5 Warnings?

    Stop talking and get on with it then.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 5 Warnings?

      And "we" want to leave the EU and be left at the mercy of our own government's Quango's to "manage" pricing. You know the same ones that tend to say "competition will lead to lower pricing"

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 5 Warnings?

        "And "we" want to leave the EU and be left at the mercy of our own government's Quango's to "manage" pricing."

        In case you hadn't noticed, it's Germany that might end up in the dock, not the UK, where the rules appear to have been zealously implemented. You might also stop to consider that the majority of EU competition and regulation approaches have been heavily influenced by the UK's pioneering approach to competition in utility markets.

        But hey, if you want to go back to "big state" policies that ultimately amount to state-provided services, then feel free to move to Venezuela, or Cuba. Some of us are old enough to remember the shockingly poor, expensive "services" that government provided when it directly controlled the vast majority of UK water, electricity, gas, telecommunications, road haulage, bus services, railways, air transport, airports, ferries, docks (not to mention the state's "scorched earth" policy in manufacturing industry).

        And perhaps you should reflect whether Brussels is really pro-competition and free enterprise, or is merely a shadow state looking to micro-manage all economic activity (a bit like France, with it's mangled and unproductive economy).

        1. bygjohn

          Re: 5 Warnings?

          Ah, that would be the period when we had the best roads in Europe, a national railway system that was affordable to ordinary travellers, integrated bus/rail services in major cities (impossible since the balkanisation of both services), and a reliable utility infrastructure because money went into improving and servicing it instead of into shareholders' pockets...

          1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

            Re: 5 Warnings?

            Closely followed by the three day week, power cuts, The Thunderer not published, rubbish in the streets, bodies unburied and the military operating the fire service - and more.

            I expect we disagree on cause and effect in this history. Me, I'm off on my bike with four friends for lashings of ginger beer. Bucolic or what?

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: 5 Warnings?

              Hmm, I was alive for much of that time and adult for quite a bit. You've taken all the problems of Callaghan (3 day week etc.) and spread them across the whole period. Ineteresting when midwives have just taken action for the first time now.

              As for road haulage - wrong. My stepfather was a haulier, a successful one and not a small one: he was intensely independent. Name me the state version.

              Trains were affordable and the ticketing system was "joined-up". Water and electricity worked rather well. The one thing that, after some stuttering, did benefit from privatisation is British Telecom. Increasing "competition" in television and radio seems to be a race to the very trivial bottom.

              Of course, life was not perfect; but the British society as a whole was a nicer, more open one in the 50s and 70s, without the extradordinary, poisonous extremes of today and the galloping USA-isation and we had an awful lot more countryside apart from national parks.

              As for the point about the EU: Britain did NOT take any useful steps to control the price of mobile telephony and, indeed, many of our most effective consumer support has come from EU-wide bodies (that, strangely, are influenced by their members, including dear old GB).

              In countries without membership, such as Switzerland or Norway, that are closely linked for reasons of trade and movement, they still have to adopt most such measures to be allowed to trade; the difference is that they have sweet Fanny Adams influence on the process.

              I am baffled why so many people imagine that giving up the personal freedom to live and work throughout Europe or just to move and shop freely in this vast area will be an improvement. I am baffled that these ignorant people seem to think the European court is an EU body.

              Grow up and enjoy swimming in a big pond.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    5th time warning or else

    she will write a very, very, very angry letter to say that the 6th warning is imminent.

    ...

    in reality they probably haven't even noticed her "warnings".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 5th time warning or else

      She may very well impose a fine but the German government will not care.

      It is not them who have to pay for it. Consumers/ taxpayers will get s.....d twice.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 5th time warning or else

      "she will write a very, very, very angry letter to say that the 6th warning is imminent."

      Given that the German economy is by far and away the largest and healthiest in Europe, and that Germany's net contribution to the EU budget is 3x that of the parasites of France, I'd suggest that Steelie Neelie's gunpowder is very wet indeed.

      1. David Neil

        Re: 5th time warning or else

        Average GDP increase is only 1.1%, lower than both Britain and the US, placing it 156th out of 166 countries.

        The population is forecast to decline by 17 million over the next 30 years. A third of the population will be over retiring-age. The current reproduction rate is only about 1.4 when at least 2.1 is the replacement rate, add in the cutting of retirement age and it's hard to see how they will balance the books.

        In 15 years’ time Germany is likely to have more than 6 million fewer workers – even fewer if immigration falls below the current average annual rate of 200,000.

        The education system is deteriorating. There are far fewer young graduates than in Britain (29% against 45%). Whereas the UK has 3 universities in the world top-five, Germany’s highest is a miserable 49th.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: 5th time warning or else

          " Whereas the UK has 3 universities in the world top-five, Germany’s highest is a miserable 49th."

          Some very selective stats there, my son. I'm a reactionary UKIP supporter, and I attended one of the top UK universities, but even I will (on the basis of experience) accept that Germany has an amazingly good education system, amongst the highest levels of productivity in the world, and better standards of living than the UK, and probably in most terms the US. Your selective comparisons that favour the UK and Mercania also ignore the fact that Germany has far more stable and balanced public finances than either country, with the US and UK addled with debt. The UK's lead in graduate numbers is based on offering degrees in hairdressing, media studies and similar shite.

          Consider this: Who buys a British car for its engineering?

          I'd really like things to be different, but they aren't.

          1. david bates

            Re: 5th time warning or else

            "Consider this: Who buys a British car for its engineering?"

            Well JLR sold 425,006 in 2013 - up 19%...

          2. mark 177
            Stop

            Re: 5th time warning or else

            Germany's net debt to GDP ratio is a whopping 78.4%, compared to the UK's 90%.

            So about 10% better is the difference between "addled with debt"and "stable and balanced public finances"?

            Still facts always get in the way of a good rant, don't they?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 5th time warning or else

      I think they noticed the warnings - for about 5 seconds before they were dropped in the bin.

      The EU will not do anything about Germany breaking the rules regardless how many warnings they issue - after all Germany controls the EU!

  3. mark 177
    Thumb Down

    Termination Fees are Evil...

    ...because the network's own customer does not pay them, just his friends, colleagues and family.

    Which is why the telcos love them so much, of course. And also the reason why it often costs more to call a mobile from a fixed-line than vice-versa.

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