The Council of EU Telecoms Ministers will meet in Luxembourg on 11 June 2009 to discuss key issues related to Europe’s Information Society.
EU Telecoms Ministers will engage in an exchange of views on the future of Europe’s network and information security policy, and the Commission will share its plans for the future of Europe’s internet. The Presidency will also provide feedback from the ministerial conference on making the internet a safer place for children. Most important, an informal discussion among Ministers is expected on the strategy forward for the adoption of the EU telecoms reform “package”. The European Commission will be represented at the Council by Viviane Reding, the EU’s Telecoms Commissioner.
” This is an important week for Europe’s telecoms companies and its 500 million consumers,” said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding. “Industry needs legal certainty to invest and easier access to radio spectrum for wireless services, in particular in these difficult economic times. Consumers need effective competition among telecoms operators, connection to high-speed broadband internet wherever they are and wherever they go, and a better protection of their privacy on the web. All these reforms could happen still this year. 99% of the text of the telecoms package has already been agreed between Parliament and Council and is ready to enter into force. I therefore now call on all political players to do their best in the next days and weeks to settle the last pending issue. Critics often lament about Europe’s lack of competitiveness, because of the alleged length of the EU’s decision-making processes. In the next days and weeks, Council and Parliament have the unique opportunity to prove these critics wrong.”
The telecoms reform “package” includes a reform of 6 different EU Directives (Framework Directive, Access Directive, Authorisation Directive, Universal Service Directive, e-Privacy Directive and the related GSM Directive) as well as a new Regulation establishing a European Telecoms Authority called “BEREC”.
On 6 May, all 7 parts of the “package” were approved, by an overwhelming majority, by the European Parliament at a second reading. Overwhelming support was given in particular to the new Directives on e-Privacy and Universal Service, the establishment of the new European Telecoms Authority “BEREC”, a modern set of rules for ensuring efficient management of radio spectrum and helping to remove regulatory obstacles and inconsistencies in the single telecoms market, as well as the GSM Directive.
However, the European Parliament also decided, in its plenary vote, to add one amendment to the reform of the Framework Directive – an amendment requiring national telecoms regulators to respect fundamental rights. Parliament and Council have not yet reached agreement on this amendment and this could therefore require further negotiations.
Ministers will have informal discussions on the strategic question being of how to proceed with the “package”. While some parts of the reform are of crucial importance for the telecoms industry (such as the reform of the GSM Directive, which is expected to lead to capital cost savings of up to €1.6bn via more efficient management of the radio spectrum), other parts include important new consumer rights (such as the reform of the Universal Service Directive, under which consumers will be able to change fixed or mobile operator within one working day).
Source: Europe’s Information Society “Telecoms Council, Luxembourg, 11 June 2009”
