Brussels, 20/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Polish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers is holding a meeting on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 October to debate prospects for growth in the electronic communications market in the European Union. Polish Infrastructure Minister Cezary Grabarczyk turned discussions to the issue of the internet: “States must make sure that broadband internet is put in place”. At a time when telecommunications services are omnipresent, the Polish minister still sees “barriers to the development of this market”, barriers which must be removed “by creating legal and regulatory conditions so that companies can offer sound, transparent services”. This message was picked up by European Commissioner Neelie Kroes who said that the problem came from a “lack of competition on the market”.
But the market cannot do everything. Grabarczyk has understood this: “The best laws will not manage to push companies, which are seeking to be viable, to invest in areas where the demand for services is weak. Yet that is the price that will have to be paid so that every citizen can benefit from the internet. So then, it is up to the state to provide the broadband infrastructure in rural areas”.
Kroes repeated that Europe must speak with one voice on introducing new rules on the development and availability of telecommunications services: “For example, if rules on roaming are not uniform across Europe, it will be very costly. Speaking with one voice, the EU can stop telecoms operators from just doing whatever they want”. She added: “We have to strike at the heart of the problem, the lack of competition and choice of suppliers for consumers. The ultimate solution is to bring in other suppliers who can introduce competition”. (VW/transl.rt)