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Nearly the entire European Union has failed to meet a May 25 deadline for implementing new telecommunication rules and Internet privacy regulations.

Only Denmark and Estonia had notified the European Commission by the deadline that it had fully complied with the legislative changes. The UK, France, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia have each provided the commission with partial notification, even though it was made clear that Wednesday was a firm cut-off date. The other 19 EU states have failed to implement full or even partial measures.

“It's the member states that set these deadlines,” Jonathan Todd, spokesman for Neelie Kroes, the commissioner for the digital agenda, said earlier this week. “They really have no excuses for not implementing these rules.”

Todd added that the commission may look to open infringement proceedings against the EU states that ignored the deadline.

The new rules, agreed upon by member states in 2009, are meant to provide consumers with better privacy protections and more visibility over their telecommunications services. The regulations require telecom companies to disclose actual connections speeds and provide number porting within 24 hours, as well as impose tougher measures against spam, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

They also oblige operators to provide more detailed information about tariffs and terms and conditions, as well forbid them from requiring users to sign up for contracts longer than two years. All providers must now offer 12-month contracts.

In addition, the directive is aimed at protecting users from advertisers, software vendors and analytics companies that may track their Web use. One such provision forces websites to obtain a user's “explicit consent” before collecting information that isn't related to their service, according to Digital Trends. Companies will also need to notify regulators if they mistakenly disclose a user's personal data.

The European Commission has taken a firm stance against telecoms that take advantage of consumers. The commission is planning on presenting a draft proposal next month that will cut excessive mobile roaming charges that lead to “bill shock” for many Europeans who travel outside of their home country.

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Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell