Brussels, 28/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - The 27 EU Member States' telecoms regulators will be meeting in Brussels shortly for the first time as members of the new Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), set up under the December 2009 EU telecoms rules. 'Today marks the start of a new era for telecoms in the EU,' comments the European Commission in a press release. BEREC replaces the "European Regulators Group", a loose grouping of national regulators that could operate on the basis of consensus alone and was not integrated into the EU's regulatory process. With 12 fixed and 10 mobile telecoms companies offering services in many other EU Member States and hundreds of service providers operating across borders, BEREC will play a crucial role in strengthening the single telecoms market and consistent regulation across Europe. Assisted by an office with expert staff, the new European telecoms regulatory body will in particular help ensure fair competition in the single telecoms market. Viviane Reding, the EU's Telecoms Commissioner who proposed the creation of the body in 2007, said: “The new body will help national telecoms regulators and the European Commission to provide consistent rules and competitive conditions across the EU. This will boost European telecoms services, which are evolving rapidly in areas like mobile internet and can become a major driver of economic recovery in Europe.” BEREC will give important expert opinions on the functioning of the telecoms market in the EU. BEREC will also advise, support and complement the independent work of national telecoms regulators, especially when it comes to regulatory decisions with cross-border aspects. Most decisions will be taken by two-thirds majority and by simple majority when BEREC gives opinions in the context of the Commission's analysis of measures notified to the European Commission by national regulators. It has not yet been decided where BEREC's headquarters will be located because this requires agreement from all 27 EU Member State governments. In the meantime, BEREC will be based in Brussels. (I.L. trans fl)