European Commission: Creation of Radio Spectrum Policy Group and European Regulators Group

IRIS 2002-8:1/2

Nirmala Sitompoel

Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam

At the end of July 2002, the European Commission established a Radio Spectrum Policy Group and a European Regulators Group for Electronic Communications Networks and Services, both of which will assist and advise the Commission in the development of the Internal Market for the Information Society.

The Radio Spectrum Decision established a policy and legal framework for radio spectrum policy to ensure the coordination of policy approaches and harmonised conditions with regard to the availability and efficient use of the radio spectrum (see IRIS 2002-3: 4 and IRIS 2002-1: 5). The Decision recalls that the Commission may organise consultations in order to take cognisance of the views of involved parties. This has led to the creation of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group. The role of the Group will be to assist and advise the Commission on matters related to radio spectrum policy, such as availability, harmonisation and allocation of radio spectrum, and methods for granting rights to use the spectrum. The Group will be composed of high-level experts representing the governments of Member States and the Commission. In addition its membership will include observers. It will also engage in consultations with commercial and non-commercial stakeholders and any interested parties. The activities of the Group will be complemented by those of the Radio Spectrum Committee, which was established under the aforementioned Radio Spectrum Decision. Its task is to assist the Commission in the elaboration of binding implementing measures addressing harmonised conditions for the availability and efficient use of radio spectrum.

To ensure the consistent application in all Member States of the regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services, which entered into force on 24 April 2002, the Commission established the European Regulators Group for Electronic Communications Networks and Services. This Group will provide an interface, and will allow cooperation, between national regulatory authorities and the Commission in a transparent manner. The Group, in which the Commission will be represented, will be composed of the heads of the national regulatory authorities of each Member State. It will consult with "market participants, consumers and end-users" (Article 6). It will maintain close cooperation with the Communications Committee established under the Framework Directive, and will ensure coordination with the Radio Spectrum Committee, the Radio Spectrum Policy Group and the "Television without Frontiers" Contact Committee.


References




Related articles

IRIS 2002-3:1/4 Court of Justice of the European Communities: Decision on the Regulation of Conditional Access Services for Digital Television

IRIS 2002-1:1/5 Court of Justice of the European Communities: Decision on Satellite Dish Tax

This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.