The EU Commission proposes an extensive overhaul of the digital single market rules. Part 1 of the cepPolicyBrief concerns net neutrality and the full harmonisation of the rights of end-users. Part 2 deals with the notification requirement for telecomms providers, radio frequencies and virtual broadband access. The change to the Roaming Regulation and cross-border fixed-network connections within the EU will be considered in Part 3.

In order to promote the deployment of broadband, the Commission wants to reduce construction costs.

The Directive aims to ensure a minimum level of network and information security. The Commission wants to impose technical requirements and reporting obligations on certain market operators and public authorities. The Member States are to adopt strategies for network and information security. 

The Commission wishes to reform the EU data protection law fundamentally with the General Data Protection Regulation. It is mainly aimed at an EU-wide full harmonisation of the data protection standard while taking account of the latest technical challenges of the internet age. It is to replace the existing Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC).

The Commission wishes to enhance trust in electronic transactions in the internal market. To this end, it proposes a Regulation designed to extend the provisions of the existing Electronic Signature Directive (1999/93/EC) and to complement electronic identification and additional trust services.

The Commission wishes to promote the digital single market by setting new framework conditions and removing obstacles. To this end, it presents an action plan.

The Regulation of mobile termination rates has become the arena of a power struggle between the EU-Commission and some Member States. The Commission insists that national regulators should apply the “pure-LRIC”-costing model.

The Commission is initiating a consultation with the aim to (at first) adopt a non-binding recommendation. The recommendation is to serve as guidance to national regulatory authorities for fixing access prices during the transition phase between copper networks and fibre glass networks.  This approach is to create incentives for investments in ultra-fast NGA networks.