site.btaConsumer Protection Commission Calls for Revocation of Mobile Operators' Licenses

Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) Chair Maria Filipova has sent a formal letter to Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) Chair Ivan Dimitrov, urging the revocation of the licenses issued to the three major mobile operators in Bulgaria, the CPC said on Monday. 

According to the Consumer Protection Act, the CPC is mandated to take decisive action to protect public interest. This includes the right and obligation to propose the revocation of a license or permit for operation when a final penalty ruling for a legal violation has been issued. The CPC notes that in the case of repeated violations by mobile operators, this mechanism is a necessary measure to ensure consumer rights are upheld and the sector operates lawfully.

The CPC argues that applying this legal obligation is the only effective response to the persistent violation of consumer rights by mobile operators. These ongoing violations, aimed at exploiting and harming consumers economically, have not only undermined trust in the sector but also damaged the core principles of law and regulation. In this context, taking the strictest possible sanction is not a matter of choice but a necessity—both to protect consumers and restore public order, sending a clear message that impunity has no place in a rule-of-law state. This is especially concerning given that consumers often have limited real options for choosing alternative providers.

The CPC reports that a large portion of consumer complaints are related to the electronic communications services market and the activities of the three mobile operators. Despite its efforts to impose administrative sanctions and fines, the Commission's observations suggest that there has been little change in the number of violations of consumer protection laws by the operators in recent years.

Over the past five years, mobile operators have been repeatedly fined for violating the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), particularly for engaging in unfair commercial practices. Despite multiple penalty rulings, operators continue to disregard the regulations and systematically violate consumers' rights.

The Commission notes that the continuing violations of the CPA by operators reveal a systemic problem that cannot be solved by the usual sanctions. The financial penalties imposed, despite their frequency, are clearly not serving their function of deterring or correcting the behaviour of infringers. Instead, mobile operators treat these penalties as an operational cost that does not affect their profit or market position. This demonstrates the apparent inability of current measures to ensure compliance with the law, the CPC wrote.

On January 6, Filipova stated that if the CRC and the CPC conclude that mobile operators have a significant impact on retail prices on the market for electronic communications services, the CRC could control prices as long as necessary.