Publications Archive

The EU Commission wants to make the transmission of personal data to non-EU countries easier in order to promote mutual trade and effectively combat international crime.

The EU - Commission wants a Regulation to protect the confidentiality of electronic communications and related end-user data more effectively and at the same time ensure the freedom of movement of such data. In cep’s view, the envisaged coherence with the General Data Protection Regulation has not been achieved. This results in legal uncertainty which weakens the EU as a location for the data economy.

The EU Commission wants to further harmonise the rules on the use of radio spectrum. In cep’s view, the long minimum duration of 25 years for time-limited harmonised radio spectrum licences, envisaged by the Commission, should be abolished because, in the technologically fast moving telecommunications sector, it may result in the inefficient distribution of licences.

The EU-Commission wants to revise the universal service rules in order to enable all EU citizens to have a broadband connection at an “affordable price”. In cep’s view, however, an obligation for universal service providers, to offer social tariffs below market prices in order to give low-income citizens a broadband connection, would be in breach of the freedom to conduct a business.

The EU Commission wants to create a level playing field for providers of conventional and new types of electronic communications services (OTT services) and largely harmonise end-user rights. In cep's view, there is however no justification for the many proposed exceptions for number-independent interpersonal communications services in the area of end-user rights.

According to the Commission, there are considerable weaknesses in the existing apparatus for supervising the telecommunications sector which consists of the national regulatory authorities (NRAs), other national authorities, the Commission, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the BEREC Office. It therefore wants to restructure this apparatus.

The EU Commission wants to facilitate the use of protected content for public interest purposes by way of restrictions on copyright. At the same time it wants to ensure fair remuneration for rightholders and press publishers.

The Commission wants to extend the regulation of telecoms network operators independently of market power in order to speed up the deployment of very high capacity networks. Upper limits on termination charges will indirectly bring down the price of calls.

With the new Regulation, the EU Commission wants to facilitate cross-border access to television and radio programmes via digital channels. In cep's view, the Regulation distorts competition because it is framed in such a way that is neither supplier-neutral nor technology-neutral.

The EU Commission wants to speed up the deployment of fast telecommunications networks. An access regulation for telecoms network operators with a dominant market position which gives more consideration to competition at retail level will contribute to this. cep welcomes this step but criticises the preferential regulatory treatment given to "very high-capacity networks".