European Union adopts new telecom rules

New rules regulating and unifying European Union telecommunication systems have officially become EU law following their publication in the bloc’s official journal Friday.

The new rules, composed of the Better Regulation Directive and the Citizens’ Rights Directive, must be ratified by the 27 EU member states by June 2011, according to Europa, the online portal of the bloc.

The regulation establishing the new European Telecoms Authority, titled the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, or BEREC, is directly applicable and will enter into force 20 days after publication. BEREC will provide a means for consistent regulation across Europe, strengthening the single telecom market.

“The establishment of the new BEREC is a very visible sign that we are serious when we say that Europe’s telecom operators and consumers should no longer feel national borders in network access and the delivery of communication services,” said Viviane Reding, the EU’s commissioner for information society and media.

“From spring 2010 onward, BEREC will help national telecoms regulators and the European Commission ensure that telecoms services can be delivered under consistent and competitive conditions across the EU,” she said. “A rapid and correct transposition will be crucial for achieving legal certainty, enhancing competition and stimulating investment in Europe's evolving single telecoms market.”

BEREC is made up of the heads of the 27 national telecom regulators. Decisions will be made, as a rule, by a two-thirds majority, and by a simple majority when the body gives opinions in the context of the commission’s analysis of measures it is notified about by national regulators.

The body’s decisions will be prepared with the support of independent experts. It will also advise, support and complement the independent work of national telecom regulators, especially when it comes to regulatory decisions with cross-border aspects.

As a result of the telecom reform, 500 million EU citizens will be able to benefit from more consumer choice through enhanced marketplace competition, better coverage over faster Internet broadband connections and a strengthening of their right to privacy.

It is now up to the bloc’s member states to adapt their allocation and licensing systems to the new rules to provide greater flexibility for spectrum users.

The commission will prepare a proposal for the first radio-spectrum policy program, an innovation of the reform package, and the creation of a strategic framework to develop a coherent EU spectrum policy.