BEREC mid-year Plenary adopts net neutrality package and considers future challenges

The BEREC Board of Regulators held its 11th Plenary meeting on 24 and 25 May 2012 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Net neutrality was the focus of discussions, as BEREC adopted a report on its investigation of traffic management practices, as well as three documents for public consultation, on the topics of net neutrality and competition, quality of service and IP interconnection (see separate press release here).

This mid-year stock-take saw BEREC and the Commission note the successful operation of the Phase II procedure (the procedure by which the Commission scrutinises regulators’ decisions on their national markets), which benefited from the participation of all EU regulators and generated 8 BEREC opinions since January 2012. Looking ahead, regulators discussed BEREC’s strategic development, launching a programme of operational improvements and a regular internal forum for the development of the group’s own strategic policy thinking.

Following the adoption of the third International Roaming Regulation on 28 March 2012, BEREC is currently preparing guidelines for the implementation of Article 3 of the Regulation (decoupling and wholesale access), which it intends to publish for public consultation in June 2012.

Also adopted was a Report on the Competitive Effects of NGA Co-investments, following a public consultation, as well as BEREC’s Annual Report 2011.

The 11th BEREC Plenary meeting was the second under the chairmanship of Dr. Georg Serentschy, Chairman of the Austrian regulatory authority, RTR. The next BEREC Plenary meeting will be held on 27-28 September 2012.

Note to the editor:

About BEREC

BEREC is composed of a Board of Regulators consisting of the Heads of the 27 national regulatory authorities (NRAs). BEREC will advise the European Commission and the NRAs, and assist the European Parliament and Council, on issues related to the application of the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications. BEREC will help to ensure fair competition and consistency of regulation in the internal market for electronic communications to benefit consumers. In particularly providing expert advice on market definitions, analysis and remedies, definition of transnational markets, cross-border disputes and numbering issues. Furthermore, BEREC will provide expert opinions on emerging challenges such as the promotion of broadband, net neutrality and converging markets, and is ready to play an active role in the discussions in the public domain on these issues.

Contact details:

For more information please contact:

[email protected], tel. +371 6611 7590, Website http://berec.europa.eu