Brussels, 02/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission proposal on completion of the single digital market will be on the Telecommunications Council agenda on Thursday 5 December during a policy debate. This will be a key point of the session, which will be chaired by Lithuanian Minister for Transport and Communications Rimantas Sinkevicius. Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes, will also attend the session.
The ministers responsible for telecommunications will express their points of view for the first time on the Commission proposal adopted on 11 September which seeks to amend the EU's regulatory framework on telecommunications. The draft regulation is part of a number of measures to make Europe a connected continent through completion of the single digital market by 2015. It was also the subject of European Council conclusions on 24-25 October last. In them, heads of state and government called for the legislator “to examine” this dossier in a sufficiently detailed way that will enable adoption within the timeframe sought. Given the urgency of the dossier, the Commission is insisting that the package is adopted by the time of the European elections. The telecommunications sector is considered essential for creating job opportunities, particularly for young people. According to Commission estimates, completion of the single digital market could bring an increase in GDP of almost 1% a year, which would mean that this sector would be experiencing the strongest macro-economic growth in the European Union over the next few years.
The goal of the regulation is to move towards completion of the single digital market by proposing that individuals and companies use of e-communications throughout the Union, without cross-border restrictions or unfair additional costs and that companies providing electronic communication networks and services use their networks irrespective of where they are based or the geographical location of their customers in the EU. The goal is to support European competitiveness in a world in which operations and growth are increasingly dependent on the digital economy. During the discussions, ministers will give their opinions on the main points contained within the Commission proposal, which provides for: 1) a single authorisation for operators active within several member states; 2) new criteria for market regulation by national authorities, in an effort to improve coherence; 3) comprehensive harmonisation of consumer protection by facilitating changes of operator and by putting a stop to misleading advertising on internet speeds; 4) standardised retail products for operators, so they can facilitate market entry and the provision of cross-border services; 5) common regulatory principles for wireless broadband spectrum authorisation procedures and the harmonisation of set up timetables and periods covered; 6) an end to practices that seek to block or hinder competitive or bandwidth hungry services (net neutrality), whilst maintaining the freedom to provide higher speeds and quality guarantees; 7) scrapping roaming costs for inward calls in July 2014; 8) strong incentives to encourage operators to provide roaming services at national prices by 2016; 9) the application of fixed communications with the same prices as those applied for long-distance national communications, except if costs can be justified objectively.
During the session, telecommunications ministers will also be informed by the Presidency of progress on the draft directive on establishing a high level of cyber security in the EU and the progress on facilitating investment in superfast broadband networks through reduced costs. (IL/transl.fl)