The European Commission (EC) has adopted a package of proposals to reform the regulatory framework of electronic communications. The package, which includes two Directives, a Regulation, two Communications, a Recommendation and respective explanatory document and an Impact Report with executive summary, is aimed at strengthening competition and reducing prices in Europe's market.
One of the key proposals is the Recommendation on relevant markets which are to be subject to specific regulation. The Commission considers that, in principle, regulation by national regulatory bodies is not necessary in half of the eighteen markets currently subject to ex ante regulation.
This Recommendation was preceded by Recommendation 2003/311/EC , of 11 February 2003, which identified eighteen markets susceptible to ex ante regulation by national regulatory authorities (NRA), markets which subsequently were analysed and notified to the EC.
With this new Recommendation the Commission is shifting its focus onto those markets which continue to lack effective competition and where regulation continues to benefit consumers. Most of the retail markets as well as a number of wholesale markets do not feature on the currently proposed list which includes the following markets:
- Access to the fixed telephone network (formerly Market 1 and 2)
- Call origination on the fixed telephone network (formerly Market 8)
- Call termination on individual fixed telephone networks (formerly Market 9)
- Wholesale access to the local loop (formerly Market 11)
- Wholesale broadband access (formerly Market 12)
- Wholesale terminating segments of leased lines (formerly Market 13)
- Voice call termination on individual mobile networks (formerly Market 16)
The EC proposes setting up a European regulatory authority for the communications sector, in order to ensure the effective creation of a single market for electronic communications in the European Union (EU). This regulatory body would have the objective of providing support to the Commission and national regulators in the enforcement of market rules, in all Member States and in a way that is consistent independent and free of protectionism.
These proposals will be submitted for approval by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
The European Regulators Group (ERG) has already given its position on most of the proposals presented by the EC, which it set out in a letter sent to the European Commissioner for the Information Society and Media and likewise in a press release issued yesterday.
Consult:
- European Commission - Package of proposals for the Reform of the regulatory framework https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=258482
- Commission Recommendation (2003/311/EC), of 11.02.2003 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=987813
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European Commission presentation - Telecom Reform
(PDF 173 KB)
Further information:
- Commission acts to reduce telecoms regulation by 50% to focus on broadband competition http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1678&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
- Commission proposes a single European Telecoms Market for 500 million consumers http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1677&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
- ERG ready for extended role http://berec.europa.eu/doc/whatsnew/erg_press_release.pdf
- Carta para a Comissária Europeia para a Sociedade de Informação http://www.berec.europa.eu/doc/publications/viviane_reding_letter.pdf
- UE: Comissão Europeia: Telecoms in the European Union http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/index_en.htm
- Telecoms reform Press Factsheets http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=3723
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Electronic communications - regulatory framework https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=60209
- Electronic communications - market analysis https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=124219
