The top consumer advocate is to become the new head of the network agency

Klaus Mueller

The consumer advocate headed the NRW consumer advice center for eight years before becoming a board member of the federal association in 2014.

(Photo: dpa)

Berlin The head of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV), Klaus Müller, is to become the new President of the Federal Network Agency. Corresponding information from the Handelsblatt from government circles was confirmed by the chairman of the advisory board of the regulatory authority, the Lower Saxony Minister for the Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection Olaf Lies (SPD).

The President of the Federal Network Agency is appointed by the Federal Government at the suggestion of the Advisory Board. The Greens have the right to propose the management of the authorities.

The previous incumbent Jochen Homann will retire at the end of February because he is not allowed to run again after ten years and has also reached the age limit. Vice President Peter Franke also left the network agency in February. The SPD has the right to propose a successor. The second vice president, Wilhelm Eschweiler, will be stepping down in two years. The FDP may then propose a successor.

Müller headed the NRW consumer advice center for eight years before becoming a board member of the VZBV in 2014. Before his time as a consumer advocate, the economist worked for the Greens in politics: from 2000 to 2005 as environment minister in Schleswig-Holstein, from 1998 to 2000 as a member of the Bundestag.

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The Federal Network Agency is a federal authority within the remit of the Federal Ministry of Economics. Its Advisory Board consists of 16 members of the Bundestag and 16 representatives of the Bundesrat.

Content responsibilities changed

After the new federal government took office, the substantive responsibilities for the authority were changed. Supervision of the network agency is shared between the transport and economics ministers. Volker Wissing (FDP) is responsible for the telecommunications and railway sectors, Robert Habeck (Greens) for the energy sector and the post office.

The Federal Network Agency regulates the infrastructure expansion of the networks and competition between network operators. The authority is of particular importance in the current debate about the controversial Baltic Sea pipeline. According to the Russian energy giant Gazprom, the pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany is ready to go. However, it is not yet operational. Certification by the Federal Network Agency is still pending.

The Federal Network Agency interrupted the certification process in November and issued conditions that Nord Stream 2 wants to meet. Only then can the procedure be continued. After that, the Bonn authorities have just under two months for the procedure. The EU Commission then has up to four months to comment. The Federal Network Agency then has another two months for any certification.

The network agency is also active as a consumer protection authority and in this capacity deals with many consumer protection issues, for example in the areas of telecommunications, digital, post, electricity and gas.

More powers against unsolicited sales calls

Since December, consumers have had new rights when it comes to telephone, internet and mobile phone contracts. The most important changes include shorter notice periods for automatic contract extensions, a right to a reduction in the case of non-delivered bandwidths and compensation payments in the event of telephone and Internet failures and missed technician appointments. In the event of disputes with the provider, the arbitration board of the network agency will seek a joint solution.

Since October, the authority has also been able to take action against unsolicited advertising calls more easily. Businesses that want to sell products or services over the phone must document the consumer’s prior consent to the call and keep it for five years.

This is what the new law for fair consumer contracts stipulates. With the new regulation, the network agency can track unauthorized telephone advertising more efficiently and also impose fines.

More: Right to repair: This is how the new guarantee should work

Correction: In an earlier version of this text, Olaf Lief was referred to as Economics Minister. We apologize for this error.

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