Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications
Encyclopedia
The Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC; , GEREK) is the regulating agency of the telecommunication market in the European Union
. It was created by the Telecoms Package
which was passed in September 2009.
BEREC includes national regulatory authorities (NRAs) on its board and an administrative staff including Community officials. The budget will be €5.5 million. BEREC will issue opinions on market definitions and remedies proposed by NRAs.
The Members of BEREC met for the first time in January 2010 in Brussels to elect a chairman and vice chairmen, who will serve a 12-month term and will likely focus initially on topics such as Next Generation Access
, Net Neutrality, Universal Service
Obligations and the functional separation of local network access and backhaul network access.
as agency for the European Union
in 2007. Although initially presented as having power to override national telecommunications regulators http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/12/business/telecom13.php, it would in fact essentially act merely as a consultative body for the European Commission.
It is proposed that the Authority be able to issue opinions and recommendations, to the Commission, concerning spectrum issues, market analyses that have not been completed on time by national regulators, and on the possible imposition of remedies such as price control accounting separation, or indeed functional separation. The Commission would have to take the utmost account of these opinions and recommendations, but would not be bound by them.
It is also proposed that the Authority be able to issue decisions, which would be binding, in the area of the ETNS (which concerns the pan-EU fixed telephone prefix +3883). The Commission would have no say in this.
The Authority would consist of 27 members representing each of the 27 national regulators and voting by simple majority.
It has been reported that a similar system of cooperation exists between the Commission and the European Medicines Agency
http://www.lesechos.fr/info/hightec/4614393.htm although in the context of authorisations to market products, rather than regulation of market conditions.
Eventually in 2009 it was decided to transform the established in 2002 European Regulators Group (with office based in Brussels
) into the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications and for its office seat was chosen Riga
, Latvia
in May 2010.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. It was created by the Telecoms Package
Telecoms Package
The Telecoms Reform Package is a law of the European Union, aimed at updating the EU Telecoms Rules of 2002 and unifying Europe's tele-communications market for all 27 EU member states...
which was passed in September 2009.
BEREC includes national regulatory authorities (NRAs) on its board and an administrative staff including Community officials. The budget will be €5.5 million. BEREC will issue opinions on market definitions and remedies proposed by NRAs.
The Members of BEREC met for the first time in January 2010 in Brussels to elect a chairman and vice chairmen, who will serve a 12-month term and will likely focus initially on topics such as Next Generation Access
Next generation access
Next-generation access is term used by British Telecommunications describing a significant upgrade to the telecommunication access network replacing some or all of the copper cable with optical fibre...
, Net Neutrality, Universal Service
Universal service
Universal service is an economic, legal and business term used mostly in regulated industries, referring to the practice of providing a baseline level of services to every resident of a country...
Obligations and the functional separation of local network access and backhaul network access.
History
The European Telecom Market Authority (more properly known as the European Electronic Communications Market(s) Authority or EECMA) was proposed by Viviane RedingViviane Reding
Viviane Reding is a Luxembourgian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. Before starting a professional career as a journalist for the leading newspaper in Luxembourg, the Luxemburger Wort, she obtained a doctorate in human sciences...
as agency for the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in 2007. Although initially presented as having power to override national telecommunications regulators http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/12/business/telecom13.php, it would in fact essentially act merely as a consultative body for the European Commission.
It is proposed that the Authority be able to issue opinions and recommendations, to the Commission, concerning spectrum issues, market analyses that have not been completed on time by national regulators, and on the possible imposition of remedies such as price control accounting separation, or indeed functional separation. The Commission would have to take the utmost account of these opinions and recommendations, but would not be bound by them.
It is also proposed that the Authority be able to issue decisions, which would be binding, in the area of the ETNS (which concerns the pan-EU fixed telephone prefix +3883). The Commission would have no say in this.
The Authority would consist of 27 members representing each of the 27 national regulators and voting by simple majority.
It has been reported that a similar system of cooperation exists between the Commission and the European Medicines Agency
European Medicines Agency
The European Medicines Agency is a European agency for the evaluation of medicinal products. From 1995 to 2004, the European Medicines Agency was known as European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products.Roughly parallel to the U.S...
http://www.lesechos.fr/info/hightec/4614393.htm although in the context of authorisations to market products, rather than regulation of market conditions.
Eventually in 2009 it was decided to transform the established in 2002 European Regulators Group (with office based in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
) into the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications and for its office seat was chosen Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
in May 2010.
See also
- Regulation on roaming charges in the European Union
- European Regulators Group for Electronic Communications Networks and Services (precursor organization)
- Agency for the Cooperation of Energy RegulatorsAgency for the Cooperation of Energy RegulatorsThe European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators is an Agency of the European Union by the 3rd Liberalisation Package in 2009. Its seat is Ljubljana, Slovenia....
(ACER)
External links
- BEREC official page
- Regulation (EC) No 1211/2009
- Commission decision: 2002/627/EC of 29 July 2002
- Procedure file reflects the current state of the procedure towards the adoption of the BEREC.