Two legislative dossiers will be on the agenda of the Telecommunications Ministers’ meeting on 2 December: costs applicable to wholesale roaming markets and the WiFi4EU credit programme. The most important moment of this Council meeting, however, will involve discussions about the new European telecommunications code.
This will effectively be the first time that ministers officially discuss this subject. It should be pointed out that the European Commission adopted a “connectivity package” on 14 September. This package consists of regulatory, financial and political measures for guaranteeing that every EU citizen has the best Internet connection possible. Its proposals support deregulation of the telecommunications market in view of promoting private investment. During their exchange of views, ministers will be requested to discuss the choices available regarding the connectivity objectives, the different means of fostering coordination between member states with a view to developing 5G and identifying the most urgent measures in the telecoms code.
At a legislative level, ministers are expected to approve a general approach on the wholesale roaming markets in the EU, in an effort to begin negotiations with the European Parliament. Three days previously, the latter voted in favour of the Industry Committee’s negotiating brief (see EUROPE 11678). Ministers are also expected to adopt a partial general approach on a new €120 million credit programme, which seeks to help the local authorities in Europe set up free Wi-Fi access points for all. The Slovak Presidency only managed to achieve a partial compromise due its involvement in the current midterm review negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework but the compromise does improve the clarity of the legal certainty contained in the initial proposal. It also brings changes to minimum speeds: whereas the Commission proposed that financing should be reserved for high-speed services (exceeding 100 Mbps), the Presidency is suggesting the expansion of the scope to services providing speeds that exceed 30 Mbps.
Ministers are also expected to officially take note of the progress report on the draft regulation to increase controls and price transparency of cross-border parcel deliveries. During the working meal, ministers will discuss the future regulation on the free movement of data, planned for June 2017. In “any other business” items, they will also tackle the question of fair use policies in roaming services, progress with the implementation of the single digital market strategy, development affecting Internet governance and the work programme of the future Maltese Presidency. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)