BRUSSELS – ETNO welcomes today’s adoption of the EU telecoms package by the EP plenary in Strasbourg and wishes to congratulate the three rapporteurs, Ms. Catherine Trautmann, Ms. Pilar del Castillo and Mr. Malcolm Harbour for their efforts to achieve this result. Today’s vote marks the end of a long period of uncertainty for the telecoms sector.

“With today’s vote approved by a large majority, the European Parliament has confirmed the importance of the telecoms sector for the economy and society as well as the need to reinforce users’ rights and legal certainty. Today’s vote also highlights the necessity to encourage large scale private investment in high-speed broadband access networks for the full benefit of consumers”, said Michael Bartholomew, ETNO Director.

“ETNO calls on the next Commission to echo the Parliament’s vote by placing NGA at the top of their political agenda. The new provisions for a more targeted and proportionate regulatory approach must now be fully translated into practice through the forthcoming EC NGA recommendation”, added Bartholomew.

Throughout the policy-making process of the review of the EU Telecoms Package, the European Parliament insisted on the need to adapt current rules to next generation access networks and the risky investment they entail.

ETNO welcomes the inclusion in the revised package of new provisions that have the potential to reinforce incentives for all players to invest while at the same time maintaining today’s lively competition. These provisions include, among others, the adaptation of regulatory interventions within a national market to the degree of competition in different areas and new mechanisms for investors and access seekers to share investment risks.

ETNO regrets, however, the inclusion of the new and relatively untested remedy of functional separation in the package. This remedy is not appropriate to today’s lively competitive markets and adds uncertainty in a climate of economic downturn and at a time when the sector is facing highly risky investments.

For more information, please contact: Thierry Dieu, ETNO Communications Manager Tel: (32-2) 219 32 42 Fax: (32-2) 219 64 12 E-mail: dieu@etno.be