Case C-1/14: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 11 June 2015 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Grondwettelijk Hof — Belgium) — Base Company NV, formerly KPN Group Belgium NV, Mobistar NV v Ministerraad (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications networks and services — Directive 2002/22/EC — Articles 4, 9, 13 and 32 — Universal service obligations and social obligations — Provision of access at a fixed location and provision of telephone services — Affordability of tariffs — Special tariff options — Financing of the universal service obligations — Additional mandatory services — Mobile communication services and/or internet subscription services)

Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 11 June 2015 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Grondwettelijk Hof — Belgium) — Base Company NV, formerly KPN Group Belgium NV, Mobistar NV v Ministerraad

(Case C-1/14) ( 1 )

‛(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Electronic communications networks and services — Directive 2002/22/EC — Articles 4, 9, 13 and 32 — Universal service obligations and social obligations — Provision of access at a fixed location and provision of telephone services — Affordability of tariffs — Special tariff options — Financing of the universal service obligations — Additional mandatory services — Mobile communication services and/or internet subscription services)’

Referring court

Grondwettelijk Hof

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Base Company NV, formerly KPN Group Belgium NV, Mobistar NV

Defendant: Ministerraad

Intervener: Belgacom NV

Operative part of the judgment

Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on universal service and users’ rights relating to electronic communications networks and services (Universal Service Directive), as amended by Directive 2009/136/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009, must be interpreted as meaning that the special tariffs and the financing mechanism provided for in Articles 9 and 13(1)(b) of that directive respectively apply to internet subscription services requiring a connection to the internet at a fixed location, but not to mobile communication services, including internet subscription services provided by means of those mobile communication services. If those services are made publicly available within the national territory as ‘additional mandatory services’ for the purposes of Article 32 of Directive 2002/22, as amended by Directive 2009/136, they cannot be financed, under national law, by a mechanism involving specific undertakings.

( 1 ) OJ C 102, 7.4.2014.