Strasbourg 14 November 2018. Today, the European Parliament voted in favour of a new legislative framework for the telecommunications sector in the EU. ecta, representing the widest range of competitive telecommunications operators, welcomed the vote, stressing that pro-competitive implementation of the new rules will decide whether the EU Gigabit vision can become reality.
By today confirming the political agreement on the draft directive establishing the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) and the accompanying regulation on the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the European Parliament signalled its will to close an intense process of more than two years since the Commission proposals.
The rapporteur on the Code, Ms. Pilar Del Castillo, speaking at the Plenary stressed that 'this legislation is a necessary condition for the EU to benefit from digitisation. We need a strengthened connectivity as it offers giant development potential for society'.
Commenting on the vote, ecta Director General Luc Hindryckx observed, 'This is a good, necessary step forward. But without effective competition that guarantees high class connectivity on a sustainable basis for all, there's no such potential. That is why the Member States and regulators must act to safeguard durable and effective competition as they translate the Code into practice. All anti-competitive loopholes must be closed.'
The Code marks possibly the biggest legislative development since European telecommunications markets were fully liberalised 20 years ago. As part of this reform, for the first time, the unique EU regime built on regulating significant market power (SMP) is dented to promote investment between operators with such market power and other operators.
Julia Reda, shadow rapporteur for the Greens, emphasized that such compromises can only play a minor role in the bigger picture of market evolution, when noting, 'Not deregulation, but competition drives innovation and we should resist the trend of deregulation.'
Reflecting on past years' experience, Hindryckx agrees: 'Competition is what has driven both innovation and investment for the benefit of consumers and society at large. Still, competition is never a done deal. That is why we now stand ready to support European and national policy-makers. By making sure that the new rules are applied in a pro-competitive manner, ecta members and the wider industry can help turn the vision of a Gigabit society into reality.'
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ecta members are united in their belief that competition is the best driver of efficient investments and the greatest enabler of innovation, choice and benefits for citizens and businesses, as well as for the European economy overall. This is the key message that ecta and its members promote and also have promoted in the discussions about a European Electronic Communications Code.
| For further information on the contents of this press release and ecta’s positions, contact:
Luc Hindryckx, Director General, +32 (0)2 290 0102 |
Follow ecta’s latest views and activities:
@twECTA
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ecta, the european competitive telecommunications association (www.ectaportal.com), is the pan-European pro-competitive trade association that represents more than 100 of the leading challenger telecoms operators and digital solutions providers across Europe. For more than two decades, ECTA has been supporting the regulatory and commercial interests of telecoms operators, ISPs & equipment manufacturers in pursuit of a fair regulatory environment that allows all electronic communications providers to compete on level terms. Our members have been and are the leading innovators in Internet services, broadband, business communications, entertainment and mobile. |
