The European Commission (EC) won’t review its new e- communicatio...
The European Commission (EC) won’t review its new e- communications regulatory framework until next year, it said Wed. Review of its recommendation on relevant markets and services -- which lists e-communications markets slated for “ex ante” regulation by national…
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regulatory authorities (NRAs) -- will be more meaningful if it’s done at the end of 2005, the EC said. Ex ante regulations are those imposed in advance of any showing of monopolistic behavior. The decision to reschedule was made for several “compelling reasons,” the EC said, including: (1) A significant number of European Union member states haven’t implemented the framework into national law. (2) Even those countries that have transposed the directives haven’t had time to complete requisite market analyses for the 18 markets listed in the recommendation. (3) Electronic communications markets aren’t changing rapidly enough to justify an early review. (4) Launching a review of the current recommendation on relevant markets would disrupt NRAs’ work plans and existing market analyses. Keep it short and don’t rehash old arguments, several govts. said in statements filed ahead of next week’s first preparatory committee (PrepCom) meeting for the 2nd phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Following extensive negotiations, the Dec. 2003 summit produced a declaration of principles and an action plan. Now, some commenters said, the Nov. 16-18, 2005, summit should resist the urge to craft any lengthy new documents, focusing instead on implementing the plan. Two controversial issues -- Internet governance and how to finance information and communications technology (ICT) rollout in developing countries -- should also be resolved, they said. Delegates should try to identify “practical contributions that are and can be made at the national and international levels” to speed infrastructure development, capacity building and the creation of a secure ICT environment, the U.S. said. The European Union (EU), Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland wanted Phase II to focus on implementing the plan of action. El Salvador said it would consider the summit a “very big success” if delegates resolved Internet governance and financial mechanisms issues as well as “who will do what, when, where and how” under the action plan. Canada wanted the summit to highlight success stories and develop indicators for measuring ICT uptake by countries.