The Telecommunications Complaints Board
In November 1990 the Danish Parliament approved the first laws, leading to the full liberalization of the telecommunications market. A package of six liberalization laws took effect from July 1,1996 and the Telecommunications Complaints Board was born.
The Board is created to be beyond of instructions from the Minister for Business and Growth.
The Board consists of seven members appointed for periods of four years.
The Board represents expertise in legal and financial, in marketrelated fields as well as telecommunications technology. The chairperson and the vice-chairperson must be law graduates.
Decisions taken by the Danish Business Authority (DBA) can be brought before the Board. Complaints regarding decisions made by DBA must be submitted to the Board within 4 weeks. As far as it is possible, the decisions of the Board shall be made no later than three months after the date on which the complaints were submitted to the Board.
The decisions of the Board cannot be brought before other administrative authorities, but can be brought to court within 8 weeks upon the reception of the Boards decision.
The Danish State defrays all expenses related to the activities of the Boards. The expenses are covered by the number charges collected by the state from providers who have been or are being assigned numbers, number series or addresses by DBA.
The Telecommunications Complaints board collects a fee of 4.000 DDK (about 530 €).
The fee is refunded if the complainer wins the case fully or partly.
The Minister for Business and Growth provides secretarial assistance available to the Board.
The types of disputes within the Board's sphere are many. The main part of the complaints concerns new legislation and might be seen as "tests" of DBA's handling of authority in new areas, i.e. decisions concerning check-ups ordering the market players to change their behaviour towards competitors, decisions concerning the LRAIC-method, the issuing of radio frequencies, decisions concerning radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and electromagnetic matters.
Over the years the Boards have given the Minister several recommendations about changing of legal rules in different areas. The footprints of the Board are found in several sections in the Danish telecommunication laws.
