[PDF, Spanish] The term Economic Services of General Interest includes sectors such as telecommunications, banking, postal services, water supplies, gas, electricity, transport and any other economic activity that is declared of general interest by the states. These activities respond to basic and essential needs of the community, so the supply and access to these services must be guaranteed to citizens. According to our domestic law, access to these benefits was guaranteed through the public service formula, so that the responsibility for their provision was entrusted to the Administration. However, European Union legislation imposes the liberalization of some of these activities, so that they are open to the free market and competition. In this framework, the provision of services operates according to the criterion of economic and commercial profitability and puts an end to state monopolies, giving rise to the figure of consumers and users of services, endowed with specific rights and instruments of protection. However, these are activities that continue to be of general interest, so their provision must be guaranteed to citizens in terms of quality, regularity, universality and affordable price. In this context, the European Union has sought to reconcile the economic liberalization of these activities, with theunderlying public interest and the interests and rights of the users of these essential services. To this end, Community standards have developed techniques and instruments aimed at meeting these requirements and guaranteeing citizens access to basic services and users the protection of their rights and legitimate interests, issues that are the subject of analysis in this article.