The Council of EU telecom ministers has given its formal approval to the new European Electronic Communications Code and associated Berec regulation. This is the final approval needed for the new telecom regulatory framework. The regulations will take effect three days after publication in the official gazette on 17 December, and EU states will then have two years to implement the rules in national law.
Digital funding approved
The Council also agreed its position on the new funding programme Digital Europe, planned to launch in 2021 to support the EU's digital transformation. The text lays out the priorities and governance for the programme, while the amount of funding remains subject to finalising the EU's multi-year budget. The Council can now enter negotiations with the European Parliament on a final text for the Digital Europe legislation.
Eprivacy awaits
As expected, the ministers did not agree a position on the proposed reform of the ePrivacy directive, which covers data protection for the electronic communications sector. European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said the ministers had a good discussion of the proposal and the latest market developments and reaffirmed the need for reform and a level playing field in line with the General Data Protection Regulation covering other sectors.
Norbert Hofer, the Austrian Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology who is the current president of the telecoms council, said not all member states were completely ready to take a decision on the proposal, but he was optimistic that the EU states would reach agreement. "I think we've got as far as we could at the moment, and with a gradual approach, in the not too far distant future, we will get a positive outcome."
