Videoconference coordination meetings of the CEPT, ECO and ECO Council were held last 9, 13 and 20 March; the meeting to prepare for the May ECO Council was held on 12 March.
Marta Leandro of ANACOM, as chair of the ECO Council, took part (in close liaison with the Office’s director, Per Christensen) in various internet meetings along with the tripartite CEPT presidency, which includes the heads of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC), the European Committee for Postal Regulation (CERP) and the Committee for ITU Policy (Com-ITU), with a view to managing the recent global public health crisis caused by COVID-19.
Due to the growing threat from the spreading coronavirus, it was decided on 12 March to close the Copenhagen office. All staff were shifted to carrying out their duties in tele-work mode, while the international experts were granted the option, if they so desired, to return to their countries of origin. In the wake of the travel restrictions adopted by an increasing number of administrations, it was also decided to hold by web-meeting, postpone or cancel all in-person meetings at CEPT level until the end of April. The Office continues to follow the activity and support all the working groups and project teams that use the GoToMeeting tool for remote meetings. Since the emergence of the coronavirus, this application’s capacity has been enhanced so that six simultaneous web-meetings can be held, and may be further boosted if needed.
In the scope of the ECO Council and with the focus on CEPT’s possible contribution to helping resolve the climate crisis, a discussion proposed by the head of the Council was held a year ago, the aim being to generate consensus among Council members regarding the gradual replacement of in-person meetings by web-meetings and the reduction of air traffic whose emissions are outside the Paris Agreement. An online test meeting was thus held in September; most of the administrations represented agreed to hold remote meetings whenever the Council agenda did not include confidential or sensitive matters.
Note that on 28 November 2019 the European Parliament declared that we are facing a climatic and environmental emergency, urging the member-states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that carbon neutrality can be achieved by 2050. Along the same lines, the European Commission disclosed on 11 December the European Green Deal, and presented on 14 January the Green Deal Investment Plan and the Fair Transition Mechanism.
The public health crisis situation continues to be closely monitored by the tripartite CEPT presidency, the ECO director and the head of the ECO Council, closely coordinating with the recommendations from Danish health authorities and the World Health Organisation.
Information about scheduled CEPT meetings can be consulted at: CEPT Meeting Calendar https://www.cept.org/meeting-calendar/.
