Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/12/06/europe_contact_number/
Steelie Neelie floats pan-European phone number notion
Apparently just writing +44 in front of it won't do
Posted in Personal Tech, 6th December 2010 15:36 GMT
The European Commission is opening a consultation on whether businesses would find a pan-European telephone number useful, or useless.
One contact number which would work across the European Union might reduce costs for multi-national businesses and make cross-border trade simpler for consumers.
Neelie Kroes, VP of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda, said companies currently need separate numbers for each country in which they operate - or use a non-geographic number like 0800 - many of which are not useable across borders.
Kroes urged all interested parties - be they businesses, consumers, telcos or regulators - to get in touch.
The consultation will remain open until 28 February 2011.
There's more here on a single European contact number, and a link to the consultation. ®