The European Commission will likely demand that Italy redress competitive imbalances in its cellular phone sector, Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert has told Corriere della Sera. He has already criticised Italy for not having made state telecommunications company Telecom Italia SpA, pay the same fee, the equivalent of $466.7m, that Milan-based Omnitel-Pronto Italia SpA had to when it won the bid to operate the first private mobile communications network (CI No 2,695). Van Miert said the Commission has already decided to demand compensation for the competitive advantage that Telecom Italia and its spun-off mobile operator Telecom Italia Mobile SpA have enjoyed. Van Miert said that if Italy refuses to respond to the demands, Omnitel could seek compensation and the Commission would resort to the Court of Justice to force Italy to comply with the directive.
