BEREC has revised its broadband common positions, originally adopted in 2006 and 2007, to reflect both technological developments (the roll-out of NGA networks) and regulatory developments (the revisions to the European regulatory framework in 2009, and the Commission’s NGA Recommendation). The revised common positions on wholesale local access (WLA), wholesale broadband access (WBA) and wholesale leased lines (WLL), were adopted for public consultation at BEREC’s 12th Plenary meeting in Limassol, Cyprus, and are consistent with BEREC’s consultation responses to the Commission’s upcoming draft recommendations on non-discrimination and costing methodologies for NGA. The consultation closes on 18 October 2012.

BEREC also invites stakeholders to comment on its work programme for 2013, which follows the themes outlined in its Medium-Term Strategy adopted in February 2012, namely infrastructure (boosting the roll-out of next generation networks), consumers (consumer empowerment and protection) and services (boosting the internal market). The consultation closes on 26 October 2012. A third public consultation will be launched on 5 October 2012, on a harmonised BEREC cooperation process in relation to Article 28(2) of the Universal Service Directive (dealing with fraud and the misuse of numbering resources).

International roaming and regulatory accounting

BEREC continues its work on international roaming, with the adoption of guidelines on mobile operators’ wholesale roaming access obligations under Article 3 of the Roaming Regulation. BEREC has also adopted an opinion on the Commission’s upcoming Implementing Acts, which set the detailed rules on operators’ information obligations and the decoupling of retail roaming services. The guidelines, the opinion, and summaries of responses received during both their public consultations, are available at BEREC website.

BEREC has also just published its latest “Report on Regulatory Accounting in Practice”, which reveals the continued convergence of approaches across Europe. Going forward, BEREC will focus on better understanding and explaining the reasons behind NRAs’ choices of particular costing methodologies. It will also draw upon the data presented and analysed in this Report to provide an opinion on the Commission’s draft recommendation on costing methodologies for NGA.

Looking ahead

Following a workshop on fraud and information security, BEREC held a closed brainstorming session to initiate the process of reviewing its Medium-Term Strategy, during which regulators considered and debated about changes to the sector since the adoption of the revised regulatory framework in 2009, and its future development. This was the first such workshop, and BEREC plans to repeat the exercise annually to ensure that the group’s work continues to be underpinned by a robust strategic vision of this fastchanging sector.

The 2012 Chair of the BEREC Board of Regulators is Mr Georg Serentschy, CEO of Austrian regulator, RTR.

Note to the editor:

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, crossborder 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.

For more information:

[email protected],

tel. +371 6611 7590