Sector inquiry into telecommunications (leased lines)

On 27 July 1999 the Commission decided to open an inquiry relating, among other things, to the provision and pricing of leased lines in the fifteen Member States. For the purpose of the leased line investigation, at the end of October 1999 the Commission sent extensive questionnaires to incumbent operators in the Member States, new entrants in EU markets, large business users of leased lines in different economic sectors and the competition and regulatory authorities in the Member States. In September 2000, the Commission held a public hearing to discuss the preliminary findings of the inquiry and the ways to take the inquiry forward. The inquiry was closed in December 2002 due to the strong drop in prices since the inquiry's launch.