Termination of Contracts
The specificities of the electronic communications sector require, beyond horizontal contract rules, a limited number of additional End User protection provisions.
Under Article 105 of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Electronic Communications Code – the EECC – special rules apply to the termination of contracts by End Users. For example:
- Guarantee that the termination is not the circumstance to prevent changing providers;
- The maximum duration of the contract should be no longer than 24 months;
- There are rules on automatic prolongations of contracts;
- Conditions must ensure the End User‘s right to terminate a contract without further costs.
The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) considers that clearly defined rules for terminating contracts empower End Users to remain as the central figure of the value chain, and oblige the market players to act fairly, clearly, and transparently. Hence, BEREC provides support on the termination of contracts by arranging workshops on the topic, and by publishing reports on the issues.