ECTA conference debates priorities for the Digital Economy

Brussels, 8 December 2009; Key policy-makers from European Parliament and EU Council Presidency will debate the priorities for the incoming European Commission alongside industry leaders at the 10th annual ECTA conference being held in Brussels today.

The opening session, which features speeches from the Swedish and Spanish Communications Ministers and Pilar del Castillo, the MEP in charge of the Parliament’s report on Europe ’s digital agenda, will focus debate on how to ensure a renewed impetus behind liberalized telecoms under the new administration.

“Commissioner Kroes’ challenge will be to reinvigorate the single market to deliver competitive telecoms and offer better, more innovative and faster services and lower prices,” explained ECTA chairman Innocenzo Genna .

Calling for a European electronic communications approach that will make businesses more productive and offer consumers choice and competition, Genna charged the new Commission with delivering a Digital Agenda that includes a Europe-wide open market for all types of communications, reasonable prices for network access and a fair distribution of the digital dividend enabling innovation and competition to thrive.  

“The challenge now is for the Commission, Governments and national regulators to remove the remaining barriers to competition,” said Genna.  “We can no longer afford to be in the slow lane of the digital economy.  President Barroso needs to make the digital agenda a priority for Europe and resist pressure from Governments seeking to protect dominant firms.”

Ensuring the effective deployment of Next Generation fibre networks and the high speed services that run over them is a top priority for the industry and will play a crucial role in driving economic recovery and delivering the services and content that business and consumers need in the new economy. Creating a dynamic environment for high speed mobile and maintaining the choice that consumers currently enjoy for voice services will also be a challenge.

Following the approval of the Telecoms package last week and the appointment of Neelie Kroes to the position of Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, ECTA is calling for a level playing field across the EU27.

“All our past experience shows that Europe needs active intervention to deliver a dynamic and open electronic communications sector that will drive its economy and unlock digital benefits for business,society and consumers,” concluded Genna. “We very much welcome the appointment of a Commissioner with a tough record in enforcing competition rules on companies which have abused their market position. Now, as Digital Agenda Commissioner Mrs Kroes will have the opportunity to firmly and systematically address bottlenecks in the sector so that these abuses do not occur and consumers benefit fully from the digital society.” 

Full details of the conference agenda - http://www.ectaportal.com/regulatory09/

Ends

For further info rmation please contact Ilsa Godlovitch, Director, Regulatory Affairs, ECTA

Tel: +32 2 227 2718

About ECTA

The European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) looks after the regulatory and commercial interests of new entrant telecoms operators, ISPs and suppliers of products and services to the communications industry.
ECTA works for a fair regulatory environment that allows all electronic communications providers to compete on level terms in order to multiply investment and innovation throughout an effective European internal market.  The association represents the telecommunications industry to key government and regulatory bodies and maintains a forum for networking and business development.
ECTA  member companies include operators, service providers and suppliers as well as National Associations of such which all contribute towards regulatory policy development and participate in our comprehensive range of networking events, conferences, seminars, briefings and executive meetings. www.ectaportal.com