On Friday 19 November, the European Commission launched a targeted public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on a proposal to revise the guidelines on State aid rules for broadband networks.
The European Commission has carried out an evaluation of the current Broadband Guidelines. These are broadly fit for purpose and make an important contribution to the roll-out of broadband networks, but the evaluation showed that some targeted adjustments to the existing rules were needed to take account of the latest market and technological developments and rapidly changing connectivity needs. In this context, the European Commission is proposing a number of targeted changes.
Interested parties can respond to the consultation until 11 February 2022. The adoption of the new Broadband Guidelines is scheduled for mid-2022.
For Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President responsible for Competition Policy, the aim of the review is to “make it easier for Member States to foster the deployment of broadband networks, including Gigabit and 5G networks, while limiting competition distortions where the market does not deliver”.
Draft guidelines: https://bit.ly/3Ct2KMJ
Public consultation: https://bit.ly/3CsrUeg (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)