On November 28 2007, the European Commission (EC) opened an infringement proceeding against Bulgaria’s telecommunications regulator, the Communication Regulation Commission (CRC), for not being independent and efficient enough.

The independence of the national telecoms regulators was “a key element ensure the effective implementation of EU Telecoms Rules,” the EC media statement said.

The EC found “serious violations of EU legal provisions” in Bulgaria.

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said that “National regulatory authorities are central to the EU Telecoms Rules. … A malfunctioning national regulator means a malfunctioning telecoms markets. This in turn endangers the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy, damaging both industry and depriving its citizens from the benefits of good telecoms regulation, notably cheaper prices and better, more innovative services. I therefore urge the Bulgarian government to work quickly to guarantee the independence of their national regulator, so that it can efficiently perform the tasks assigned to it.”

The EC sent Bulgaria a letter of formal notice, the media statement said. According to the letter, the heart of the problems at CRC had been the “long delay in appointing a chairperson”, resulting in an inability to take decisions. “Regulatory decisions have therefore been significantly delayed or postponed” the media statement said.

The CRC failed to carry out essential tasks under the EU telecoms regulations, the EC said.

Before opening the infringement proceeding, the EC had unsuccessfully met with Bulgaria’s authorities and had sent several letters.

The current infringement proceeding was the second opened against Bulgaria in the telecommunications sector. In October 2007, the EC started similar proceeding because the European emergency number 112 had to need introduced yet.