EC calls on Germany to amend MTR proposal

The European Commission (EC) has requested that Germany’s telecoms regulator, the Federal Network Agency (FNA), amend its mobile termination rates (MTRs) in line with the EU regulatory framework. Following a three-month in-depth investigation, the EC issued a recommendation concluding that the FNA is acting contrary to the EU recommended approach for the calculation of MTRs. In its proposal, the German regulator intends to set an MTR of EUR0.0172 (USD0.0188) per minute from 1 December 2014, retrospectively, until 30 November 2015, and a rate of EUR0.0166 per minute from 1 December 2015 until 30 November 2016. According to Brussels, if adopted the new rates would be around 80% higher than the rates in the vast majority of member states which follow the recommended approach. The EC has now requested that the FNA withdraw its proposal or to amend it in line with its recommendation; the German regulator has one month to communicate the adopted measure to the Commission.