On 3 May 2012 BEREC hosted a summit with CEOs from some of Europe’s largest fixed, mobile and cable operators, including both incumbents and alternative operators. This was the first such summit in a “strategic dialogue”, BEREC’s recently announced formal programme of engagement which complements the Group’s regular meeting debriefings and informal exchanges with its stakeholders.

BEREC hopes this strategic dialogue will help it to be proactive in addressing the regulatory challenges of a fast-changing sector. Participants in this first summit discussed changing business models (as new players enter the market), the challenges of infrastructure investment in a slow-growing European economy, and the challenge of providing cross-border services. There was a collective call for greater regulatory certainty, echoing the findings of investment analysts.

This month’s closed session will be followed by similar summits with consumer and user groups, service providers, vendors and other sector innovators, and investment analysts, and this stakeholder engagement programme is expected to become a permanent fixture of the BEREC engagement calendar going forward. The insights and understanding that BEREC expects to glean from these meetings will help it to shape its annual work programme, as well as its longer-term strategic thinking, and help it to effectively discharge its role as advisor, and as developer and promoter of regulatory best practice.

BEREC is grateful for the opportunity for frank and open stakeholder dialogue, and very much looks forward to continuing these sessions with the wider stakeholder community.

Note for the editor:

About the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)

BEREC is composed of a Board of Regulators consisting of the Heads of the 27 national regulatory authorities (NRAs) with primary responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operation of the markets for electronic communications networks and services. 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.

For more information please contact:

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

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