The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU will host the informal meeting of Telecommunications Ministers in Louvain-la-Neuve on Thursday 11 April.
The EU27, together with Thierry Breton, the Commissioner for the Internal Market, are due to use this meeting to discuss the Commission’s recent ‘White Paper’ (see EUROPE 13355/8) and outline the main conclusions of the forthcoming Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting on 21 May.
The Ministers’ agenda includes three discussion sessions, focusing on the promotion of a safer and more responsible online environment, the strengthening of European network infrastructures and the strategic autonomy of the digital sector.
The competitiveness of the European digital sector, its ecological transition and its widespread deployment in Europe will also be addressed.
While this meeting is intended primarily as a working session in the run-up to the Council meeting on 21 May, the discussion on the Commission’s ‘White Paper’ is likely to attract several critics.
At this stage, at least seven countries are sceptical about the idea of deregulation of the sector (see EUROPE 13388/5).
They could request that the ‘White Paper’ is not mentioned in the draft Council conclusions until the assessment period is over.
The Ministers also plan to discuss innovative approaches to strengthening digital security and user responsibility and to adopt the ‘Louvain-la-Neuve Declaration on promoting a safer, more responsible and trustworthy online environment’ at the end of the meeting. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)