On Friday 2 June, the telecommunications ministers of the EU Member States, meeting at the EU Council in Luxembourg, discussed the future of connectivity within the EU, following the Commission’s unveiling on 23 February of its legislative package on the subject, aimed at achieving the objective of very high-speed connectivity for all EU citizens and businesses by 2030 (see EUROPE 13128/9).
Discussions focused in particular on ways to support the deployment of connectivity technologies. To this end, part of the discussions was devoted to the “investments necessary - and the means of financing these investments - by the Member States”, explained the Swedish Minister for Public Administration, Erik Slottner.
“Connectivity was the big debate of the day for the ministers in Luxembourg. The technology is developing rapidly, as is the market, and we need to invest”, he added.
The Member States also refocused discussions on the ‘Connectivity’ package drawn up by the Commission. “For an integrated European internal market, a strong and integrated European internal market, we need major progress in the development of Gigabit throughout Europe. And the European Commission’s initiative is exactly what is required. The issue is one of practical implementation. We are participating constructively, with the aim of reaching a swift conclusion. Of course, we also want our interests as a federal State to be taken into account”, declared Volker Wissing, Germany’s Minister for Digital Affairs, on arrival.
Part of the discussion also focused on network charges for large companies, in particular whether or not content and application providers should have to contribute to the costs of deploying high-speed communications systems. Several countries, including Germany, voiced their opposition.
“We need to see that such cost-sharing can ultimately lead to significantly higher prices for consumers, that it hinders competition and access to the Internet, and that the whole thing can have considerable downsides, and that in the absence of an identifiable market and an identifiable market failure, such intervention is unacceptable to me”, Mr Wissing stated.
In addition to a presentation by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU on the progress and work carried out related to an ‘interoperable Europe’ (see EUROPE 13192/21) and legislation on cyber resilience (see EUROPE 13186/9), the ministers stressed the need to opt for an “innovation-friendly” approach in the legislative work being carried out, according to the Swedish Minister for Public Administration. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)