17.2.2007   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 49/30

(1)

It is desirable for citizens of the Member States, including travellers and disabled users, to be able to reach certain services that have a social value by using the same recognisable numbers in all Member States. At present there is a patchwork of numbering and dialling schemes in the Member States and no common numbering scheme is in operation to reserve the same telephone numbers for such services in the Community. Community action is therefore required for that purpose.

(2)

The harmonisation of numbering resources is necessary to allow these services provided in different Member States to be accessed by end-users using the same number. The combination ‘same number — same service’ will ensure that a specific service in which ever Member State it is provided is always associated with a specific number within the Community. This will provide the service with a pan-European identity to the benefit of the European citizen who will know that the same number dialled will give access to the same type of service in different Member States. This measure will encourage pan-European services to develop.

(3)

In order to reflect the social function of the services in question, the harmonised numbers should be freephone numbers, without this meaning that operators would be obliged to carry calls to 116 numbers at their own expense. The freephone nature of the numbers is therefore an essential component of the harmonisation being carried out.

(4)

It is necessary to attach conditions closely related to controlling the nature of the service provided to ensure that the harmonised numbers are used for the provision of the particular type of service covered by the Decision.

(5)

It may be necessary that specific conditions are attached to the right of use for a specific harmonised number, for example, that the associated service should be provided 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

(6)

In accordance with the Framework Directive, national regulatory authorities are responsible for the management of national numbering plans and for controlling the assignment of national numbering resources to specific undertakings. In accordance with Article 6 and Article 10 of Directive 2002/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services (Authorisation Directive) (2), conditions may be attached to the use of numbers and penalties may be applied in case of non compliance with those conditions.

(7)

The list of specific numbers in the numbering range beginning with ‘116’ should be regularly updated in accordance with the procedure in Article 22(3) of the Framework Directive. Member States should make known the existence of such numbers in a manner that is accessible to all interested parties, for example, via their websites.

(8)

The Commission will consider revision or further adaptation of the present Decision in the light of experience gained, based on reports provided to the Commission by the Member States, in particular whether a specific service for which a number has been reserved has developed on a pan-European basis.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Communications Committee,

(a)

numbers listed in the Annex are used only for the services for which they have been reserved;

(b)

numbers within the ‘116’ numbering range that are not listed in the Annex are not used;

(c)

the number 116112 is neither assigned nor used for any service.

(a)

the service provides information, or assistance, or a reporting tool to citizens, or any combination thereof;

(b)

the service is open to all citizens without any requirement of prior registration;

(c)

the service is not time-limited;

(d)

there is no payment, or payment commitment as a pre-requisite to use the service;

(e)

the following activities are excluded during a call: advertisement, entertainment, marketing and selling, using the call for the future selling of commercial services.