Ireland's Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has published a decision notice and decision instrument relating to its Retail Fixed Calls Market Review. The publication contains an assessment of the three criteria for ex-ante regulation and withdrawal of SMP obligations. ComReg stresses that it has not made a formal finding in the document, either related to market definition or whether there is effective market competition. Instead, it has focused the analysis on ascertaining whether the three criteria are still met. It has concluded that the first of the three criteria rendering a market susceptible to ex ante regulation in the markets for retail calls in Ireland is no longer met. As a result, the markets for retail calls in Ireland are not considered susceptible to ex ante regulation and existing obligations imposed on Eircom relating to these markets will be withdrawn.
