The Telecoms Package is due to enter a Third Reading in the European Parliament. The exact timing is dependent on the Council of Ministers, where a formal rejection of the Parliament's Second Reading is awaited.

The core issue relates to the controversial Amendment 138, which was carried by the European Parliament, in the Second Reading vote on 6 May 2009.

Amendment 138 seeks to protect the rights of Internet users in situations where governments or private operators might introduce measures which restrict their access to applications and services. Other parts of the Package, notably the Universal Services and Users Rights directive, contain provisions that were added as part of the "compromise" process, which will permit broadband operators to restrict users access to services and applications on the Internet. It also contains a provision which permits governments to order such restrictions, for political purposes.The first such purpose is anticipated to be copyright enforcement in respect of peer-to-peer services.

The European Parliament vote went  against a so-called "compromise"  which had been agreed by the rapporteurs with the Council civil service known as COREPER. The "compromise" reversed the intent of Amendment 138, and would have sealed in the rights of operators and governments to restrict the Internet. The Council, as far as is known, remains determined to get its "compromise", and to oppose Amendment 138. The European Commission is sitting on the fence, saying formally that it supports Amendment 138, but its coded messages tell us a different story. 

This section of iptegrity.com will monitor developments in the Third Reading of the Telecoms Package. 

The text of the Parliament' Second Reading is available in all EU languages at the following URLs:

Framework, authorisation and access directives (Trautmann report )

Universal services and users rights directive (Harbour report)