Reforming the regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services: Implementation Appraisal

This briefing is one in a series of 'Implementation Appraisals' on the operation of existing EU legislation in
practice. Each such briefing focuses on a specific EU law which is likely to be amended or reviewed, as foreseen in the European Commission's Annual Work Programme.

Implementation Appraisals aim to provide a succinct overview of material publicly available on the implementation, application and effectiveness of an EU law to date – drawing on available input from the EU institutions and external
organisations. They are provided to assist parliamentary committees in their consideration of the new proposals, once tabled.A set of legislative and non-legislative proposals to reform the regulatory framework for eCommunications is expected in September 2016. At the time of writing this briefing in August 2016, the REFIT evaluation of the current framework was still ongoing and is likely to be published only together with the proposals.

In the meantime, the results of the dedicated public consultation held by the European Commission in 2015 confirmed the framework's overall effectiveness in fostering competition and, to a certain extent, citizens' interests. The relevance and EU added value of the framework were also confirmed, as stakeholders agreed that some form of ex ante regulation of the sector would still be needed in the future to maintain competition.

Conversely, the consultation together with other studies and publications analysing the framework's implementation indicated that results in terms of creating a true internal market for eCommunications remain mixed. In particular, market fragmentation can still be observed and a certain degree of inconsistency in the regulatory approaches followed by NRAs has been highlighted. Efficiency is another dimension where areas for improvement have been identified.

EP: EPRS: Briefing: Implementation Appraisal: Ex-ante Impact Assessment http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/search.html?policyAreas=EXIMAS

ESO: Background information: Telecoms operators will face new rules on competition with rivals http://www.europeansources.info/record/telecoms-operators-will-face-new-rules-on-competition-with-rivals/

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