Slovenia

[SI] Telecommunication and Broadcasting Regulators Merged

IRIS 2001-8:1/27

Matjaz Gerl

Slovenian Broadcasting Council

In order to give effect to the new Telecommunications Act (see IRIS 2001-5: 16) and in particular Article 156 of the Act, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia established the Agencija za telekomunikacije in radiodifuzijo RS, the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Agency of the Republic of Slovenia by a decree that came into force on 21 July 2001.

The new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Agency is an independent body, financed from fees collected from telecommunication and broadcasting operators. The agency has powers to manage the telecommunications and broadcasting spectrum, settle disputes among operators on prices, infrastructure etc., set the prices of some services, decide on concentration in certain cases, collect fees from operators, supervise telecommunications and broadcasting operators, and also has competence for the accreditation of electronic signatures. It is managed by a director and two deputies - one for the telecommunications and one for the broadcasting field - nominated by the government. Applications for appointment to the post of Director of the Agency were advertised publicly in August and his nomination is expected at the beginning of September. Until then, the Agency is not really operational. The Agency is acting independently by taking its own decisions, which can only be challenged before the courts. It is financed from fees paid by operators for using the frequency spectrum.

The operating staff is advised and controlled by two councils: the Telecommunications Council which advises the Director on telecommunications issues and the Broadcasting Council which has a power to make final decisions on granting the licences. The professional and administrative support for both councils is provided by the Agency. Both councils have the power to give/refuse their consent to the statutes of the Agency.

Both councils have been already established by the Drzavni zbor (Parliament) and they already held their first meetings.