Assembly of the Republic
ICP-ANACOM, represented by its Chairman, appeared twice before the Assembly of the Republic, at the request of the 6th Parliamentary Committee (Committee on Economic Affairs, Innovation and Regional Development).
In the first of these sessions, held on 4 June 2008, which was one of a series of hearings of the various regulatory authorities relating to consumer protection policy, a presentation was made on the protection of users in the communications sector in respect of the remit of this Authority in this area.
In this context, and in first place, an outline was given of ICP-ANACOM's powers and remit in terms of the protection of users in light of the existing regulatory framework and reference was made to the role of the functions of regulation, supervision and publication of information in pursuit of this remit, stressing that the action of the Authority is not intended to address each of the cases that are submitted to it, but rather to regulate the sector, taking user interests and the protection of their interest with respect to their relationships with service providers into constant account.
In order to provide a broader view on the subject, the presentation made to the 6th Parliamentary Committee also included an evolutionary view of the levels of conflict seen in the industry in recent years (both in terms of electronic communication services and in terms of postal services), the identification of problems that have caused conflict, and ICP-ANACOM's response, either through its organizational structure, or through the relationship of this Authority with the market in general and with other relevant organizations working for the protection of consumers.
In the second session, held on 2 July 2008, matters were addressed relating to postal services, particularly related to the network, distribution and quality of service.
In this context, an outline was given of the remit of ICP-ANACOM regarding the closure and change of business hours in postal establishments, the rights and obligations of CTT were described, as concessionaire of the universal postal service and in terms of outsourcing of services, distribution of postal items and postal service offices, and reference was made to the tasks of ICP-ANACOM at the level of regulation and supervision of the quality of the universal postal service provided by CTT.
Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC - The Competition Authority)
During 2008, ICP-ANACOM issued a number opinions and clarifications to ADC, in accordance with national legislation, particularly in cases concerning abuse of dominant position and concentration operations by cable television distribution companies.
Other Entities
In 2008, ICP-ANACOM engaged in various actions in cooperation with other entities, including:
- Conducting meetings with the ERC, the Court of Auditors and the Ombudsman, in the framework of institutional relationships;
- Issuing an opinion to the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, following the request by the oversight board of a public tender launched by this Ministry with the aim of contracting FTS and related services, following a complaint lodged by OniTelecom - Infocomunicações, S.A. (OniTelecom), relating to restrictive competition practices. AdC was informed of this opinion and was also consulted in this process;
- Provision of various clarifications on the legal regime governing the Municipal Fees for Rights of Way (MFRW), in response to several requests from municipalities.
